A Love Hate Relationship
by danythedragon
Summary: A series of one-shots about our favourite Escort and Mentor. Disclaimer - Any characters, places, or otherwise are property of Suzanne Collins. If any character belongs to me it will be referenced in the Author's note for that respective chapter. These are not in order. [Set to complete as I am done with one-shots for the time being]
1. The First Meeting

**A/N: Hello! I plan for this to be a series of one-shots of no particular length. No idea how many I'll do. I think I'll leave it open until I've had enough. This will basically be anything I think of that doesn't fit with my main story or that cannot be expanded into more. There may also be outtakes from "Things That Happened In The Past". I appreciate any readers, reviews, etc. Thanks guys.**

**P.S. Rated M because who knows what I'll come up with?  
**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

It's the reaping day of the 70th Hunger Games, and he sits at the Justice Building waiting to be introduced to the new escort for District 12. She shuffles in, all bright colors and smiles, and he is reminded that he is stone cold sober and nursing a bitch of a hangover.

"Mr Abernathy! It's a pleasure to meet you!" She screeches her greeting, smiling broadly at him and holding out her small, perfectly manicured hand.

"I'm Effie Trinket! The new escort for District Tw-"

"Haymitch." He grunts in reply, giving her hand one quick, solid shake, before releasing it to flop at her side. She only hesitates, slightly shocked for a split second, before continuing.

"I'm very honored to be working with your District! I think we're going to get along perfectly! I look forward to…" Her voice fades out to a high pitched hum in his head, like white noise, or the after effects of being stunned by a smack to the head in one of his many bar fights. It's a feeling he knows only too well, and he can't take it sober.

"Em…. El… E-…" he scrambles in his stunned memory to recall her first name, without success. "TRINKET!" She snaps her mouth shut and glares daggers at him. He grins; pleased that she seems to have a temper, and realizing he can have some fun with this one. "Shut up, 'kay sweetheart?" he stands up and saunters from the room, she stares after him, fury filling her eyes. He swears he hears her murmur something about manners on his way out.


	2. At First Sight

**A/N: Hi there. I'd like to thank any readers, favs etc. I am hoping to update this more often. I have many Hayffie one-shots written on my iPhone notes, it's just finding the time to copy them up and upload them. I'm on it. :)**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

**_The first time Effie Trinket saw Haymitch Abernathy._**

Little 4 year old Euphemia Trinket sits cross legged on the floor, wide eyes fixed on the Television. Her parents had tried to get her to bed, and usually she happily obliged. However, recently something was different. This year's Games featured none other than the handsome, young District 12 tribute, Haymitch Abernathy.

Normally, Mr and Mrs Trinket would never agree to their innocent little girl watching the violent Hunger Games. In their eyes, she is far too young for the gore, violence and horrors that the Games present every year. This year, the 50th Hunger Games and 2nd Quarter Quell, they do not have a choice. Ever since the Reapings, little Effie has been obsessing over the strong, rugged young boy from District 12. On her 4th birthday - which, luckily for her, falls on the day of the tribute interviews - her parents bought her a large poster of the boy, and she couldn't have been happier. Her parents find it cute that their little Effie has an innocent crush, and therefore, they allow her to watch him for longer than she probably should. After all, how could they deny their daughter's first ever crush? The boy is her first fairy tale. He represents the handsome Prince of her dreams that, one day, will come and sweep her off her feet. He is the Prince that will protect her from the monsters in the dark corners of this scary world.

Little Effie Trinket does not know, at the tender age of 4, that she will indeed meet her Knight in not-so-shining armor. She does not know that one day she will fall for him, no matter how faded the shine of his armor has become.

After all, she has enough shine and sparkle in her Capitol world for the two of them.


	3. Elevator Part 1

**A/N: Hello again. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. It means a lot. So.. I was re-reading Catching Fire and decided to tackle the infamous question - "What happened in the elevator? ;)" Well, here's my version of what happened BEFORE the elevator, IN the elevator, and AFTER the elevator :P It's in 3 parts, so you'll just have to be patient until I feel like treating you to the next bit.. unless of course no one wants it, in which case I'll keep it AAALLL to myself! :P I'm willing to update part 2 and maybe even 3 tomorrow, but you'll all have to be extra nice and sweet talk me into it. I plan to earn the M Rating for this story, let's put it that way. Enjoy Part 1. :)  
**

**-Ellie.  
**

_**"****Haymitch and Effie join us, looking pleased about something." - Part 1****  
Before the Tribute Parade.  
**_

I glance up at the clock before taking another pathetic sip from my glass. Effie freaked out at me after finding me with a few bottles on the train, so she's ordered me to slow down. Honestly, I don't know who that damn woman thinks she is. We screw around a few times and suddenly she's acting like my damn wife. As far as I'm concerned, I only said I'd stay sober during training. Now I know I won't be going back into the arena, my rule from last year applies. I'll stay sober enough to keep them alive. I have to watch what I drink anyway, considering that we now have just over a week before the rebel plan is put into action. I have to keep them alive until then and be sober enough to fight and get them the hell out of there, as well as everyone else who is a part of the rebellion. Unfortunately for me, that's quite a few of those in the arena and some here in the Capitol, and I know I can't save everyone. I've prioritized a few in my head. Katniss is essential. If we get no one else, we need her. She's first. Next up, Beetee, who is essential for communications and electronics. After those, it's a case of potluck.

I snap out of my planning when I hear the sound Effie's insanely high heels approaching down the hall.

"Well finally! Damn it woman, I thought we were going to miss the start. You of all people should know how important timing is. How can it take so damn long to get ready?" I hear her before I see her.

"Oh Haymitch, beauty takes time. I have to look my best for the Capitol!"

She rounds the corner and I almost choke on my drink. She's stunning. I allow my eyes to freely roam up and down her body. She's wearing a dress that's fitted to her upper body, but flares out at the waist, hugging her curves at her hips before falling loosely around her knees. At the very bottom of the dress, it's a deep, vibrant pink that gradually fades up the dress into lighter shades until the shoulders of the dress are such a soft pink they're almost white. The rich golden neckline plunges into a deep V, showing off just the right amount of her womanly features. Below the neckline are 3 large, golden buttons, obviously responsible for keeping the dress fastened. At the waist there is a wide, golden band, which is home to a rather oversized bow on the left – so typically Capitol. The dress falls to around her knees, and on her feet she wears the ridiculously high golden heels she's obsessed with. They may be insanely high, but the extra height emphasizes her long, slender legs. The dress makes her body look fantastic, and I find myself undressing her with my eyes for longer than I probably should. My eyes drift back up to the deep neckline and stay there for what I'm sure she feels is way too long.

She clears her throat and I quickly snap my eyes back up from her chest to her face. I'm a little disappointed when I find that she's wearing her usual Capitol mask, complete with the golden wig, but her excessive make-up can't hide the slight redness on her face that only just sneaks through. She stares at me with one eyebrow raised, a slight smirk on her lips and one hand on her hip. I find my eyes fixed on where her hand rests on the perfect curve of her hips.

_I wish my hands were on your hips… or thighs… or waist… or that perfect a-_

"Mr Abernathy." I jump at the sudden sound of her voice. Yet again, I fix my eyes on hers, but I can only reply with a slight "Hmm?"

"If you've quite finished rudely staring at me... I believe our tributes are about to be revealed to the nation." She smirks at me again as I nod and quickly stand up to walk over to her. She looks up at me, and everything about the way she stands screams confidence and seduction. She knows she looks good, and she knows that I like it. "So… I take it you like my dress, Haymitch?" She talks to me in the voice she reserves for whenever we aren't in public or company. It's her normal voice, lacking her usual annoying screech she puts on in public or for the tributes. When she's with me, she's far from Capitol Effie. I am one of few people to see her as simply Effie. The way her Capitol accent sounds without the screech is actually quite sexy, which shocked me at first. The way she purrs my name when she's being playful or flirty never fails to turn me on. I never would have expected to find this damn woman even remotely attractive, but here we are. After all these years, I now find it possible to see through the mask and the shrill voice and just find my Effie.

_No. Not "my Effie", just the REAL Effie. She's not mine. I don't want her like that._

_Who are you trying to kid? Of course you do! Just take her, Haymitch!_

"Haymitch?"

"Uh… I… Urm… Y-You look…" _Why the fuck am I nervous? Pull yourself together, man! _"You look amazing, sweetheart. But you already know that don't you?" I smirk at her and place my hands lightly on her waist, leaning in so our lips are just inches apart. She knows exactly what she's doing with all of these seduction tactics. We've played this game many times before.

She lets out a light chuckle.

"Maybe." I slide my hands further around her waist and pull her closer. She lightly scrapes her nails down the front of my shirt. "Or maybe… I know you just won't be able to resist me no matter what I'm wearing."

"Is that so?" I lean in to kiss her, but within less than a second she's gone. I stand there, stunned as she marches towards the door, grinning to herself.

"Come now, Mr Abernathy. We wouldn't want to be late to the tribute parade."

She looks back at me and smirks before firmly pressing the button to the elevator. I follow her, grinning and shaking my head in disbelief. As I reach her, the loud _ding! _signals that the elevator has arrived. The doors open, and I grin at her and gesture with my hand.

"After you, Miss Trinket."

She smirks seductively and sways her hips as she walks past me, lightly scraping her nails across my chest as she goes.

"Why thank you, Mr Abernathy."

_Oh, you just wait, Effie Trinket. The things I'm gonna do to you later. _

**A/N: Don't hate me too much for the cliffhanger style ending. Later will happen, I promise. Patience is a virtue, my friends.  
**

**If either seem OOC, I apologize, but you have to remember that these short stories time-jump each other. They're not in any particular order. In this one, they happen to have been together a few times already, so I imagine that being alone in the penthouse would cause them to act differently/more openly. Just thought I'd explain that. Also, I bet that behind closed doors Effie's not so prim and proper, if you know what I mean ;) I bet Haymitch brings out the little rebel in her. :P  
**

**One more thing. I think I described the dress quite well, but it's one I designed myself. I couldn't find the perfect one online so I just drew one. If anyone wants to see that, I can post it somehow on my profile or something. Let me know.  
**

**Thanks for reading. Sorry for any mistakes. It's 3am here in England and I'm uploading this just for the lovely FF readers. You can all have an imaginary cookie. :)  
**


	4. Elevator Part 2

**A/N: Oh... You guys... I promise you a bit of steamy Hayffie action and the reviews shoot up. I see how it is. Bad little shippers aren't we? ;) You'll just have to be patient. CONTROL YOUR FEELS, PEOPLE! Good things come to those who wait... and even better things when those waiting leave reviews. *casual elbow nudge* ;D :P **

**Thank you for the feedback though, seriously. I appreciate it loads and I'm really happy that people are enjoying what I write. Also, I'm glad that nobody thought it was too much of a cliffhanger. I'm also glad no one seems to hate me, but if that's me just missing the obvious, let me know. :P**

**So.. here's the next little treat for you. Lots of fluff and happiness and rainbows and unicorns in this one. Not literally of course. That would be silly. But there IS lots of happiness. My feels were going crazy writing this. I think I got a little carried away. :D Here's part 2.**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

**_"Haymitch and Effie join us, looking pleased about something." - Part 2._****  
****_The Parade and the elevator._**

The ride down to the ceremony was kind of inconsequential. I was enjoying standing close to Effie and feeling her warmth, but too soon we were joined by Lyme, one of District 2's mentors, and their stuck up bitch of an Escort, Thalia. Never liked her and she never liked me, especially since I "assaulted" her _darling Effie_ on stage last year. If only she knew how much Effie actually enjoys it. Of course she'd get a lecture about reputation and class. I can hear it now. "Darling Effie, don't lower yourself to the levels of scum like him! You deserve better than a lowlife from such a barbaric District!" Oh yeah. We're barbaric for starving and working our asses of. Maybe we should slaughter some innocent children so we can no longer be classed as barbarians. I can't wait to bring this damn Capitol down. They haven't even seen it coming.

I acknowledged Lyme with a nod and we stepped to the back of the elevator to allow the Escorts to babble on about God knows what. I frowned a little at the lack of contact with Effie, but soon found an advantage of my new position. Luckily for me, Effie is still an inch or 2 shorter than me, even with her deadly heels. I had just the perfect angle to freely gaze down the front of Effie's dress. I know, call me pervert, but any man would make the most of this view. It's not like I haven't seen her, touched her naked body before. It's something I don't think I'll ever get enough of. There must've been a smirk plastered on my face because I felt Lyme nudge me. She's an intimidating lady, not someone to be ignored, so I looked up at her. She leaned to mutter into my ear with an amused smirk on her face.

"Stop undressing your Escort with your eyes, Abernathy. You pervert." I chuckled and looked into the mirrored doors, only to find Effie watching me with a somewhat smug grin on her face and amusement clear in her eyes. I gave her a cocky grin and a wink and she smiled before turned her head back to her colleague. I turned to Lyme who was watching us with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Don't give me away. I'm enjoying myself."

We both laughed and I resumed by previous position. Something caught my eye, peeking out over the edge of the deep V-neck. I focused a little more and identified it as none other than black and gold lace. My grin widened and I looked back up at Effie's reflection, arching an eyebrow. She gave me a look of smug satisfaction, and from her expression, I could imagine her smooth, seductive voice saying "You'll just have to wait and see, Mr Abernathy." I knew from that moment that the rest of this night would be unbearable.

* * *

The parade went by without a hiccup. We stole the show yet again. Katniss and Peeta were great with their "unforgiving" looks. Of course, only Peeta needed to act. Katniss always looks like she wants to murder everyone in the room.

A mental image of Katniss going crazy with a bow and arrows (shooting randomly into the crowd from the chariot) pops into my head. I chuckle as I walk over to greet Chaff and Seeder.

"Mitchy, m'boy!" Chaff gives me a hard slap on the back when I reach him.

"Chaff. It's been too long, buddy! Hey Seeder, how you been?" I turn and give her a smile.

"Haymitch." She gives me a polite smile and a slight nod. "Not too bad, thanks. Your Victors look just as impressive as last year. Congratulations. You got a good team."

"Yeah. Sure beats me goin' in. I kinda grew attached to those kids though. Can't stand to see this happen. It's not fair on them." I glance over to Katniss and Peeta to see her give the boy a little kiss. I chuckle. "That girl is never gonna decide what she really wants."

I look back at Chaff and Seeder. "What do you say I introduce you to them? Maybe sort out an alliance?"

"Sounds good, Mitchy." Chaff slaps me on the back with his stump again and laughs as I stumble a little from the force. "Good job you're not in there with me. Never could take me on, could ya Mitchy? Huh?" He nudges me, teasing. I shove him back, both of us grinning.

"Come on. Effie will get her wig in a twist if I don't act like a mentor. I should go see the kids."

"That Escort of yours has got you wrapped round her little finger, Mitchy." I shove him again with a smirk.

"No she has not. That damm woman will be the death of me."

"Oh come on. She might as well be your wife. You're like an obedient little puppy, stumbling around catering to her every whim." He puts his arm round my shoulder and leans closer. "Of course, you and I both know exactly the kinda whims you cater to for your _Escort_." He guffaws and I shake my head, smiling.

"You have no idea, Chaff."

"Say, here's a question for ya. Something I can't help but wonder." He grins at me, awaiting my approval.

"Go on?"

"Do you have to book so she can pencil you in?" He slaps me on the arm and guffaws. Seeder lets out a little chuckle but averts her gaze. I open my mouth to reply, but Chaff's not done yet. "Y'know, like, do you have an appointment? A certain time you go to her every night?" He laughs again.

"Chaff, come on..."

"Oh I can just see it now. 7pm - 7:30pm: Tribute Parade. 7:30pm - 8pm: Freshen up. 8pm - 9pm: Dinner. 9pm - 10pm: Television for recaps followed by tribute bedtime. 10pm - 10:30pm: Sex with Haymitch. 10:30pm: Sleep."

I realize I should be pissed off at Chaff, and if it were anyone else then I would be. I know Chaff is just kidding, teasing me. We've been like this with each other for over 20 years, so I know it's all in jest. With Chaff, it's easier to take it like a man and laugh along. Like he said, I never could take him on. I smirk as he laughs to himself, clearly thinking he's the funniest man alive. I put my hand on his arm and lean in a little closer, as if telling a secret, but I keep my voice loud enough for Seeder to hear.

"Not far off actually, Chaff, but believe me, we go for a lot longer than half an hour." He bursts out laughing again and this time Seeder doesn't try to hide her amusement. Chaff slaps his good hand around my shoulders.

"Mitchy, you old dog!" Grinning, I look back to Katniss and Peeta to find them staring at me.

"Come on you two. Let's go see my kids." I nod in their direction and Chaff and Seeder follow me over.

"By the way, I'm sorry if she wants to kill you. She tends to be like that." I mutter just before we reach them. I grin as I hear Chaff murmur a sarcastic "Charming!".

When we reach the kids, Seeder pulls Katniss into a hug. I hear them whispering about the families of last year's tributes before they pull away, both with fake smiles on their faces. Chaff immediately steps forward and pulls Katniss towards him, giving her a full on kiss on the lips. We both guffaw at the girl's shocked expression as she forces herself out of his grip. If she didn't wanna kill him before, she certainly does now.

Chaff puts his arm over my shoulder and leans to mutter into my ear. "Your lady's lookin'" He nods his head towards the side of the elevators and I immediately snap my head in the direction. I catch sight of Effie, who is standing with a few other Escorts, but she's ignoring them and watching us from across the room with a small smile. It's the soft, adoring, motherly smile I see when she's proud of our kids. I mentally kick myself for imagining her as a mother, more specifically the mother of my children. As if that's ever gonna happen. Her smile widens when our eyes lock and I can't help but return it. There's something contagious to me about her happiness. I love when she's happy. When her smile is genuine, it lights up her blue eyes - makes them sparkle. Damn, her smile lights up the entire room. I'm pulled from the moment when Chaff nudges me and laughs.

"You got it bad, Mitch." I turn to look at him and nudge him back, chuckling.

"No I don't. Shut it, buddy."

"Whatever, Mitchy. Hey, you coming?" I notice that a load of Capitol attendants have begun to push us all towards the elevators. Probably don't like the camaraderie between all the Victors. I glance back at Effie who's still smiling at me, her expression soft and... loving? I feel my heart flutter and my smile widens a little. Without turning back to Chaff, I answer him.

"Nah. I'll see you later, Chaff. Gonna go meet Effie." He slaps me on the shoulder and walks with the kids and Seeder towards an elevator.

I push my way through the crowd towards Effie. I see her excuse herself from the small group, who must make some sort of remark because her smile falters. A few of them look at me with disgust clear on their faces. When I give them a cocky grin, they quickly look away, and soon enough they push their way into an elevator. I finally reach Effie and resist the urge to wrap my arms around her. Instead, I secure my hands in my pockets and grin at her.

"Hey, Trinket." She lifts her eyes from the apparently-interesting spot on the floor to meet mine, a small smile on her face again.

"Hey, Abernathy." She mock-echoes me in her best District 12 accent. It's quite cute that she even tries to make her voice deeper. I feel the weird fluttery sensation again and my grin turns into a genuine smile.

"Cute." I chuckle at her and her smile widens, making her blue eyes look like they're twinkling. Gazing into her eyes, I realize something that I've known for a while but never admitted. I love this damn woman. We stand looking into each others eyes for a few more minutes. She tries to keep a normal conversation up, but I find that I can't act like I hate her when her eyes are glistening with so much happiness. Sometimes, I notice that what I say gets to her. She knows I don't mean any of it and I know she tries to just ignore it, but despite her best efforts, I sometimes see hurt in her eyes. I wish we didn't have to act at all. Soon enough, if we win the war, my wish will come true. I think she's clinging on to that hope too. One day we'll be free. We can be together without fearing for our lives.

"Katniss and Peeta looked wonderful. We must congratulate Portia and Cinna on another outstanding accomplishment."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"We'll hopefully have sponsors lining up again this year."

"Maybe, sweetheart."

Silence.

"They may be against experienced Victors, but I noticed how much younger and fitter they looked compared to some others. They may stand a chance." I give her a knowing smile and she returns it with a look of understanding. She knows the rebel plan. She helped come up with it.

"Let's just hope they stay alive long enough, shall we?" She smiles and nods.

"Shall we go upstairs?" I glance around me and notice that the crowd has vanished. We stand alone in large room with the exception of a few stragglers, but I have no idea how long it's been since everyone else went up to the penthouse.

"Yeah, let's go." I take her hand and lead her to the elevators. I press the button and one opens immediately. I notice the two mentors from District 8 eye up the open elevator, so I quickly pull Effie inside and hit the button telling the doors to close. I see them give me an annoyed look before the doors shut them out. I press the number 12 and the elevator jolts upwards.

"Nice move. I'm glad we're alone." I turn to her and grin.

"Me too. I've thought about you all evening." I lift my hand to her cheek and allow it to slowly travel down her face, neck, chest, finally resting on her waist. "That dress... Damn, Trinket." She looks up at me through her eyelashes.

"So you like it then?" She raises an eyebrow and smirks at me. I respond by pulling her closer to me and kissing her hungrily. She lets out something in between a moan and a sigh as she crushes her body against mine, her hands reaching up to rake through my hair. I smile into the kiss. She's always loved my hair, for some reason I'll never understand. Every time we kiss, every time we make love, her hands will at some point tangle themselves in my hair. It feels nice. She's even made me fall asleep a few times by gently running her fingers through my hair. She always giggles, ecstatic at how easy it is. It's adorable, really. She was so proud when she figured out that she'd found something that puts me to sleep.

We break apart, gasping for air, but I keep her close. I lean my forehead against hers and lean our heads so that our noses are touching. She smiles up at me. She's breathtaking. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. I grin at the sight of her trying so desperately to control herself.

"I've been waiting for you to do that all evening, Mr Abernathy." I chuckle and give her a light peck on the lips.

"I've wanted to do that all evening, Miss Trinket." I kiss her again, another light kiss, but this time she returns it. It's soft and delicate, but somehow feels more intimate than any other.

"Don't think I didn't notice you staring at my chest earlier, by the way." She smiles, and her eyes show amusement.

I chuckle. "I was simply... admiring your perfect body"

She shakes her head lightly and presses a light kiss to my lips. "Sure."

I shush her by kissing her again. Like before, it's slow and soft and intimate. I hear her whimper a little, and I wonder if she's feeling the same fluttering sensation that I am. I know now that we can never go back to how we were before. I've admitted my feelings to myself, and later on I will do the same to her. I know she feels the same way. How could she not, after everything we've been through together? Screw it. Later, I'm opening up to her completely. If she rejects me... Well, the country will be at war in just over a week, so I'll be able to keep myself busy and worry about heartbreak after.

She pulls away from me gently, straightening her dress and fixing her slightly smudged make-up in the mirrored door. "Enough, for now. We're about there."

I groan. She's right. The display says we've just reached the 11th floor.

"Okay, but later on... you're mine." She smirks and turns to me, having finished fixing herself up. She reaches up with her tiny, delicate hand to cup my cheek and her thumb gently wipes a smear of lipstick off my lips. I kiss her thumb gently. She withdraws her hand less than a second before the elevator comes to a stop at the 12th floor.

"Perhaps." The doors open with a ding and she turns to walk out, grinning. I follow, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

My God, I love that woman.

* * *

**A/N: So... it's 5:06am here in England. I've been writing this since late evening - probably around 10pm ish. Had to keep stopping, so it's been on and off, but I stayed up to finish it. Sorry for any mistakes. Please note the time I am writing this right now and forgive me. :) I think I got carried away. The word count is more than double Part 1. Sorry. Hope you liked it though. Let me know what you think? Keep an eye out for part 3 sometime later today, but now it's sunrise, and I must sleep.**


	5. Elevator Part 3

**A/N: Well here it is. Part 3. It's taken me ages to write cause I've had flu and kept passing out/getting a little high from my medication. It's some good sh-. Haha. But anyway, I hope you guys like it. It's longer than I originally planned. I tried to cut it down but I took so much out already and I couldn't force myself to remove anymore. Don't know about you guys, but I love long chapters anyway! Now, I don't know if people are expecting something graphic, but if you've read anything else I've written, you'll know it's not my style. I'm not just gonna full on describe a sex scene. It'd take a hell of a lot of requests. I like to keep it a little classy. As for spellings in this, I try to cater to a majority, the majority of my readers being American. You'll find that I mostly use American spellings/words rather than British (i.e. Pants instead of trousers.), but sometimes I may slip up. I'm British so it's natural for me to say "trousers", use the letter "u" in words like Favour/favor, etc. Please overlook any small mistakes like that.**

**I'm just gonna do some shameless self-promo right now. Forgive me. Could you guys do me a favor and read my story "C'est la vie, c'est la mort" please? I re-posted it after an edit and it's only had like 85 views. Quite disappointing, as I am rather proud of it. I'm debating adding it to this fic, since it is a Hayffie one-shot, but I don't know.  
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**Final thing (I think...), an announcement! I have been working on rewriting a story of mine "Things that.." blah blah. I have decided to basically write all 3 HG books from a Hayffie perspective. I'll be going through each book, chapter by chapter. I'm gonna write 4 or 5 fics in total. The early years (Pre THG), which will be my old story improved, and all 3 books, possibly an additional for post-mockingjay. I've even got titles and everything. I'm so damn excited to share it with you all! I've written a lot of it already, but not in order, so bear with me. I'm currently finishing up the mockingjay and post-mockingjay lot. Watch this space! I want to start posting before the British summer holidays end, so in the next 2 weeks. It's exciting! I've been working on it for a while. :) AN IMPORTANT THING IS that this 3 part elevator series WILL be included in the CF book, but extended with a few extra exciting things that I can't tell you guys about. Let me put it this way, something really cute and awesome happens in the morning after this chapter, but I'm not posting it for you yet. You'll have to wait. :D This is your sneak peek.  
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**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Please let me know what you think. Sorry for the long author's note, but I had a lot of announcements today. Humor me - if you read this and are planning to review, try and work in a Lord of the Rings quote somehow (I was watching it earlier) e.g. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" :P That's my challenge for you. I wanna see how many people actually read my stupidly long A/N. I also thought I'd share with you all that I'm a moron cause I tripped and face-planted my bed earlier on just before I uploaded this. It hurt. I bit my tongue on the end and it bled. :( funny though. I'll shut up now. Enjoy. :D  
**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

_**"Haymitch and Effie join us, looking pleased about something." - Part 3.  
Strategy and a late night meeting.**_

"Katniss, wait!" The girl disappears down the hallway and we hear her door slam shut.

"Leave her boy." I put my hand on Peeta's shoulder to stop him running after her.

I give Darius a nod of recognition and a small, sympathetic smile, which he returns and quickly averts his gaze. Poor kid.

Effie goes off to freshen up and check her room. I let my eyes linger on her behind for a few seconds as she walks off. Nice. I turn to Peeta.

"Peeta, I know it's early days, but I want you and Katniss to keep in mind who you might want as allies. I have a few potentially lined up for you. My friend Chaff and his District partner, Seeder. Told them we'd sort it out. You up for that?"

"Well, that's fine for me, but as for Chaff, that's up to Katniss. I think he'll need to apologize for earlier."

I sigh. "Sure. He'll do that, but you gotta realize that's just the kinda guy he is. Always after a laugh. Mocks me all the damn time about E-… well… anything."

_That was a close one, idiot._

"Well… I'll talk to Katniss about it, but you know she's not gonna jump at the alliance."

"Alright kid. Listen, I'm gonna go talk to Effie then run and update Chaff. Go freshen up, alright?"

He nods and walks to his room. I follow him down the hall and stop at Effie's door, giving it a heavy, "disrespectful" knock - got to keep up appearances after all. I hear her chipper Capitol sing-song voice and cringe a little.

"Come iii-iin!" I open the door and poke my head around to see her fixing her make-up in the mirror of her vanity. She's humming cheerfully to herself. I let out a little chuckle and her head snaps in my direction, her face immediately breaking out into a wide smile.

"Haymitch! Do come in!"

"Hey, sweetheart. You got a minute to talk strategy?" I close the door and stroll over to lean against the vanity at the side of her. She frowns a little.

"Oh. Strategy? O-of course… Sure." I chuckle and peck her on the lips.

"Don't frown. We've still gotta talk work every now and then, Princess."

She sighs. "Fine. Sure." She sits up straighter. "What do you wish to discuss?" I notice she's immediately shifted in to Business-Effie, but her cute frown remains. I smile as I watch her.

"Alliances. I'm gonna arrange some and I want your opinion."

"I see. Whom did you have in mind?" She gets out her planner and scribbles as I talk.

"Well, specifically those who can keep the kids alive." She raises her eyebrows at me and I quickly add "for as long as possible, of course."

"Have you discussed alliances with the children or other Victors at all, as of yet?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking obvious choices are Chaff and Seeder. We know they're on our side. They wouldn't hurt the kids until absolutely necessary. I trust them, and Chaff is in better shape than he looks. Other choices would be Finnick, Johanna and Beetee. You know, brains and brawn? A good mix of knowledge makes a good alliance - a mix of skills. With those I guess comes Mags, Blight and Wiress, but I can't imagine they will all be alive for the whole Games. We'll just have to see who's alive after the bloodbath. You can guarantee 1 and 2 will be acting as normal. Typical Careers. The good thing is, they're all Victors and they're all killers, so technically, they're all Careers… and ours are the youngest and strongest. With Finnick and Johanna they'll be unstoppable." She finishes her furious scribbling and looks up at me, concern on her face.

"I can't help but worry though. What if one of them breaks off the alliance early? Or Katniss!? You know she's not exactly one to be friendly. What if, for instance, Finnick approaches her at the Cornucopia, and she hasn't agreed to be allies beforehand? She'll just shoot him. She knows how good he is and you can pretty much guarantee there'll be an oh-so-perfect trident right there for him. Or Johanna? She's… temperamental, to say the least. If she gets annoyed at one of our kids, as she more than likely will, and decides to let an ax fly, what do we have then? A dead tribute and broken alliance. We need to find a way to keep them all in check. We have to make THEM want the alliance, somehow. We mustn't go out asking for them. If they want it enough, they will make it happen and they will stay in line."

I watch her in awe as she says her little speech, a grin plastered on my face. When she's finished, she looks up at me shyly and hesitates.

"At least… that's what I think." She shifts her gaze down to the floor. I lean down, lifting her chin gently with my fingers, and give her a soft peck on the lips.

"When did you get so smart, Princess?" I smile at her and she beams back.

"You're right, sweetheart. Of course you're right. Beauty and brains, huh? Who'd have guessed?" I smirk at her and she slaps me playfully on the arm, giving me another soft kiss. She leans in closer and lowers her voice to an almost whisper.

"So… are you coming to see me tonight?" Her expression is hopeful. How could I ever say no to her?

"Of course I am, sweetheart." I breathe back. "You better believe it." I kiss her again and stand up straight, returning my voice to the usual volume.

"Right. I'm gonna quickly go down and let Chaff know about this alliance plan. I said I'd try and sort it, so I'll go tell him that we're taking requests during training. How's that sound?"

"Yes. Very good. Be back for dinner. It would be… unprofessional and plain rude to miss it." She smirks at me and I grin back.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, sweetheart." I wink at her and walk to her door, opening it and slipping through. I quickly poke my head around the door again.

"See you at dinner, Miss Trinket." She rolls her eyes at me and laughs.

"Yes. I shall see you at dinner, Mr Abernathy." I grin at her once more before closing her door and walking to the elevator.

* * *

I stand at the bar of the penthouse, searching for a bottle of something nice. Eventually, I find a bottle of Effie's favourite wine. It's over-the-top Capitol junk, bright pink in color with weird sparkly glittery things floating around in it, but it tastes nice enough and she likes it, so it'll do fine. I grab two of the nicer glasses and head down the hall to her room, Chaff's words echoing in my head.

_"Hey, Mitchy."_

_"What?"_

_"Enjoy your 10 o'clock appointment."_

I smile at my friend's teasing. I'm sure I'll enjoy my "10 o'clock appointment" very much. Dinner and the recaps were rather hard to get through. We were obviously more reserved when we were watching the recaps. Being on open sofas accompanied by the entire District team meant we couldn't even touch, apart from the odd subtle brush of our hands. Dinner was a different story. She sat next to me, as she always seems to. I had to get through the entire ordeal with her hand oh-so-innocently running up and down my thigh, and, of course, _accidentally_ brushing other more sensitive areas. I have no idea how she can do that and keep a straight face, especially when we're sat with the stylists AND the kids. Cinna and Portia are annoyingly astute. They figured out that there was something going on between Effs and me practically straight away. Something about "sexual tension", so they said. Needless to say, we didn't have to really hide anything around them, but the kids are another matter. The woman amazes me. She can sit there smiling and talking non-stop about anything and everything with the kids over dinner, while I'm sat there practically choking every time her hand drifts a little too high. It's been a long evening.

I knock on her door softly, holding the wine and glasses carefully in my other hand. I hear her over-sweet, melodic Capitol voice, obviously put on incase it's someone she's not expecting.

"Who is iiiit?" I smile at her sing-song reply.

"It's Haymitch, sweetheart." Her voice immediately drops an octave and her accent fades a little.

"Oh! Do come in, Haymitch!"

I open the door quietly and slip into her room, gently closing the door behind me. She is sitting on the edge of her bed, smiling at me. She looks beautiful in her natural, normal state, with no make-up and her blonde hair falling loosely just past her shoulders. Her soft, pale skin is lit up by the pinkish glow from the lampshade on her bedside table and she's still wearing her dress from earlier. I notice her eyes drift to the hand carrying the wine and glasses and her smile falters.

"What's wrong?" I place them on her vanity and walk over to sit next to her on the bed. She turns her head to look towards her window, so I gently place my hand on her cheek and pull her back around to face me.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Tell me." My voice is soft. Her eyes flicker away briefly. She's clearly trying to find the right words to say. She opens her mouth to speak, but closes it again and sighs, shifting her eyes back to mine.

"I just… it's nothing, really. It's just…" She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, most likely building up courage. "Haymitch, do you really need alcohol to spend the night with me?" Her sentence comes out in a rush of air, so fast that it shocks me and takes me a second to figure out what she actually said. How could she think that? I mean, sure, I always bring some wine with me, but that's for us to share. It's so we can relax after a tough day and just enjoy each others company. She takes my hesitation as a sign of my guilt, as if I'm confirming her thoughts. She pulls herself out of my loose grasp and turns away, but not fast enough to hide the tears that slip from her eyes.

"Okay. Well I'm sorry I'm so unbearable to you. Maybe you should just go."

"Wait. Effie. No, of course I don't need it. I love spending time with you. I love talking to you, being with you. Hell, I just lo-" _–ve you. _I let my sentence trail off, but my mind finishes it for me. Effie just shakes her head lightly and still refuses to look at me. I repeat my actions from earlier, reaching out to gently turn her head to face me.

"Look at me, Effie." She lets me turn her head, but avoids eye contact. "The whole reason I bring alcohol is just so we can relax. Every day is stressful during the Games, and I know how much it affects you, sometimes more than me. You cry when tributes die, even if they aren't ours. During the bloodbath, you cling to me so tightly that it hurts, but I never stop you because I know it's just what you need. I also know that sometimes, during a hard day, you like a glass of wine to help relax you. Now, if you notice, I only ever bring wine with me. Only ever your favourite. Do you really think that I would bring some fancy, girly Capitol wine with me if I were trying to get drunk? I bring it for you, for us to enjoy together – slowly. Not because I want us to get drunk, but because I know it helps you relax." She looks into my eyes, searching for any hint of a lie, but she'll find none. I kiss her lightly and she lets out a sigh of relief against my lips.

"I'm sorry, Haymitch." She kisses me softly. "I shouldn't accuse you of things like that. You're a better man than people give you credit for. I've just been stressed lately, with the Quell and everything else, and then I've been confused lately about my… emotions, and I just… I'm sorry. It seems I'm an emotional wreck." She looks down at the floor, giving me a weak smile, and her voice comes out a whisper. "You're so good to me. I certainly don't deserve you." I lift her chin gently with my fingers.

"Hey. Come on sweetheart, we both know that's not true. If anything, I don't deserve you. I don't deserve someone so beautiful and caring and amazing. You're an incredible woman, Effie. You're perfect, and you deserve better than me." She smiles at me and shakes her head slightly.

"I'm far from perfect."

"Maybe, but you're perfect to me."

In the next second, she all but jumps at me and crashes her lips against mine. I respond immediately, sliding my hands around her waist to pull her closer while her hands find my hair – as usual. There's something about the desperation in this kiss that's different to any we've shared before, but I can't put my finger on it. She suddenly pulls away, but our faces stay close together, our foreheads and noses lightly touching. We're both panting for air, but I gasp when I hear her next words, whispered against my lips. She looks into my eyes and her hand comes up to stroke my face affectionately.

"I love you, Haymitch." She bites her bottom lip as her eyes search mine for any kind of emotional response, her nervousness clear on her face. I can't help the wide, stupid grin that finds its way on to my face. I even let out a laugh of sheer joy. My heart feels like it's soaring and fluttering and beating a million beats per minute all at the same time. I feel a warm feeling spread through my entire body.

Effie pulls back a little and frowns at me. "You didn't have to laugh at me."

I silence her with a deep kiss.

"Shut up, damn it woman."

"W-" she begins, but I hold my finger up to her lips. She looks torn between being confused and scolding me for my awful manners. She settles on a mixture of both, resulting in a child-like pout. This does make me laugh. I move my finger from her lips, sliding my hand up lightly to caress her face, still smiling at her like a fool. It's now or never.

"I love you too, Effie." She looks shocked but elated by my admission. She smiles a wide, breathtaking smile that makes her eyes sparkle. "Damn it, I love you." She gives me a deep but soft kiss on the lips, pushing me to sit further back on the bed. I oblige and she moves to straddle me, her arms draped loosely around my neck.

"You love me?" her eyes are full of hope, and still glistening with happiness.

I nod. "I tried not to, but you were right, sweetheart. I can't resist you. I never really could." I reach up to gently twist a strand of her soft, blonde hair through my fingers. "I mean, just look at you, Effie." I move my hand to caress her cheek. "You're so beautiful." She makes what I can only describe as a "swooning" noise, before closing the space between us yet again. This time, it's slow and passionate, yet deep and full of desire at the same time. My hands find her waist and I pull her closer, moving so I'm lying back on the bed with her on top of me. Somehow, she manages to still talk to me at the same time as kissing. Never could shut this woman up.

"I love you, Haymitch… so much… I have for so long."

"I love you too, sweetheart." I deepen the kiss even more to try to shut her up, and I'm successful for a few seconds.

"I never thought th-" I sigh and flip her over. She gasps, causing her to cut off her own sentence.

"Sweetheart, I'm not trying to be rude or bad mannered or whatever, but please stop talking." I place a light kiss on her lips and smile at her. She smiles back, looking a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so happy. I find that when I'm happy I can't help but just go on and on. You know it's re-" I chuckle and force my lips against hers again. She lets out a little sigh and melts into the kiss, and I smile at my victory. I pull away for air, grinning a smug grin at her.

"Finally. A way to shut you up."

"You know that's rather rude, Haymitch." She's smiling but I can tell she's just itching to scold me for my lack of manners.

"It really bothers you when I interrupt you, doesn't it?"

"N-no. I can handle - " I cut her off again with a kiss, and pull back grinning. She takes in a deep breath and slowly exhales. I can't help but laugh. I kiss her again; gentler this time, and I can feel her smile into the kiss. When I pull away, her voice comes out a whisper.

"At this point in time, I really don't care about manners." I smirk at her.

"Really? Effie Trinket, Miss Prim and Proper, doesn't care about manners?" She smirks and rolls her eyes, slapping me playfully on the arm.

"As long as you keep kissing me all night, your manners can be as terrible as you damn well please. Tonight is not a time for manners." She reaches up to cup my cheek in her hand and gives me a soft kiss. She lets her hand slowly drag down my neck, chest, lower and lower still, causing me to shudder and suck in a sharp intake of air as my body instantly reacts to her touch. She murmurs against my lips. "Tonight is about me showing you exactly how much I love you," Her voice drops to a whisper, "and how much I've wanted you all evening."

I suppress a groan as her hand lightly brushes across my body.

"God… Eff…" She gently places her finger on my lips.

"Sssh. Just kiss me." I oblige instantly, closing the space between us, causing her to let out a soft moan against my lips. I hear her huff in annoyance as her fingers fumble with the buttons of my shirt, attempting to remove it to no avail.

"Damn it!"

I grin and sit up to help her just lift the damn thing over my head, before she throws it carelessly to the floor. She smiles, triumphant, and pulls me back down towards her, running her hands freely over my now bare chest.

"Cursing now, are we, sweetheart? Where are your manners, Miss Trinket?" I smirk at her and she grins back.

"It was irritating me. Stupid shirt... Your shirt is stupid, Haymitch." I chuckle and kiss her.

"Noted." She smiles again and pulls my lips to hers.

"Good. Now shut up." I chuckle against her lips, but return her kiss eagerly. Without warning, she flips us over so I'm on my back and sits up, straddling me again. I raise my eyebrows at her, slightly shocked.

"Jeez, woman." She may be small, but she's certainly got some power. She is definitely to be feared – small yet somehow extremely mighty. She looks down at me, smirking.

"I'm stronger than I look, Abernathy." She leans forward, her lips practically touching mine, but not quite. Just a bit closer and… Ouch. Damn it. She jabs me in the chest. "And don't you forget it." I smirk and my eyes widen slightly at her. She just grins back at me and leans back a little to allow her eyes to quickly survey my chest upwards, humming in mock-thought. I nudge her a little, just lightly.

"What?" She smiles wide before nodding.

"Yep. I could definitely take you." I laugh at the thought of someone as small as her trying to beat me up, and she giggles too, slapping me lightly on the chest. "Don't laugh. I could!"

"Sure. Whatever you say, sweetheart." I sit up and shift so she's essentially sitting on my knee, but I hold her close, placing a light kiss against her lips.

"What do you say we get this pretty dress off you before it gets ruined?" I reach up to play with the top button, just below the V-neck, and she giggles.

"Oh, yes, because you're so clearly bothered about the state of my dress."

"As a matter of fact, I happen to think it's very… sexy. On you, at least."

"Is that so?"

"Definitely." I smile, but look down in confusion at the button that won't seem to release. Effie looks down at my hand, still trying to pry open the button, with a smirk on her face.

"Having any luck?" I lift my head to look at her and her eyes meet mine. She's grinning but biting her lip, trying to stop herself from laughing, and I come to a realization. My face drops immediately.

"The buttons don't open do they?" She bursts out laughing, shaking her head. I sigh in exasperation. "What the hell is with you Capitol people and your stupid fashions? Buttons that don't actually open? Seriously?" She finishes her little laughing fit, which I smile at because I love seeing her genuinely laughing.

"I'll have you know, buttons are the in-thing at the moment… as well as gold and Mockingjays, of course. Being the fashion icon that I am, my buttons just so happen to be gold." She gives me a cheeky grin, which I have to smile at.

"Fucking buttons… really…" I shake my head in disbelief. Stupid Capitol people, hyping over buttons. "Right. How the hell do I get this damn thing off then?"

"Eager are we, Mr Abernathy?" She gently takes my hands and pulls my arms to wrap around her, leaning in so we're less than an inch apart and lowering her voice to a whisper. "It unzips on my back, you fool." She smirks at me and I roll my eyes, reaching up to find it. I unzip her dress and run my hands up her bare back to her shoulders, where I gently push the dress down off her body. I grin as I see the black and gold lace I caught a glimpse of earlier. She notices me staring, yet again.

"Oh you like these do you? Yes, I thought you might. In fact, I was very much counting on it." I look up at her and she's smiling seductively at me. I waste no more time in claiming her lips with mine. Her response is immediate and eager. She melts into the kiss, pressing her body against mine, letting out a soft moan. I pull her back down to lie on top of me and she kicks her dress off and down to the floor, her hands reaching down to fumble with my belt. I flip her over, propping myself up above her to make it easier. She makes quick work of my belt, pushing my pants down as far as she can reach. To her annoyance, her reach isn't that far, so I reach down myself to finish the job for her. When I'm finally free of them, I throw my pants down to the floor with the rest of our hastily removed clothing. I bet she'll go mad when she sees the mess in the morning.

I sit up a little, taking a minute to just look at the beautiful woman below me. I let my eyes and hands gently roam over her body, taking in the sight of her. The black of her underwear contrasts with her pale skin while the gold compliments it nicely. Her eyes close and she bites her lip as my hand caresses her thigh and continues up her body. My eyes follow my hand upwards to land on her face. She looks beautiful without her wig and make-up, her blonde hair splayed out messily on her pillow around her naturally pretty face. Her eyes are closed, but she tilts her head slightly to kiss my hand when she feels it resting on her cheek. I smile. Her icy blue eyes open and immediately lock with mine. When she smiles and her eyes sparkle, my heart feels like it's soaring. She's perfect. I lean down and kiss her, whispering against her lips.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life." Her hands gently stroke my hair in what feels like a loving way, and she looks into my eyes, hers twinkling with happiness. Her whispered reply is simple, but holds so much meaning for the two of us - just three words that tonight have changed everything between us, taking us to a level we can never go back from… and I would never want to even if we could. Her lips brush mine lightly as she whispers the words – "I love you".

I feel a wave of pure joy wash over me, and the smile that I can't keep off my face must be wide enough to rival the one she uses daily for her Capitol mask.

"I love you too, Effie. Too much." If it's possible, her smile widens and I swear her eyes are watering a little. She closes the infinitesimal space between us, pulling my lips to hers. I kiss her passionately. We've wasted too much time. I need to show her how much I love her; how much I need her. I need her to be mine. I allow my hands to roam, caressing her body, and she responds with soft moans and whimpers. I pull away and we both work to remove the final barriers between us. Neither of us can wait any longer. Our bodies mash together and we become one, losing all sense of time and reality as the fire flows through our veins. The fire burns, intense, eventually exploding and enveloping us completely. She falls asleep in my arms and I lay awake, thinking.

I've slept with a fair amount of women, pining after a Victor, but the only woman I could ever make love with is the one asleep in my arms. I kiss the top of her head and she cuddles up closer to me. I lay there smiling until I drift into a peaceful sleep.

She's the only thing that could ever truly keep the nightmares away.


	6. C'est La Vie, C'est La Mort

**A/N: Hi everyone! I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who follows this series and has added it to their favorites. 12 of you lovely people (so far) have done so, making this my readers' collective favorite! I also love you all for your reviews, however, I feel that no one reads these. My challenge to you if you choose to review is to end your review with the word "squiggle". :D I've decided to add this one-shot onto the series, but I'm gonna add an epilogue in the next chapter, which I'll upload later on today. I'm basically cleaning up a little. I wrote it before I started the series, so it's time to put it where it should live. My original A/N is below.  
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**-I was listening to one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands - The Civil Wars - C'est la Mort. While I was listening, I got this idea. I think the song fits their situation in my idea. Post Mockingjay Hayffie. Let me know what you think. :) **

**P.S. I advise finding the song on youtube and listening while reading this. It's not a "songfic", but the song really is beautiful, so I would advise listening to it anyways.  
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**Disclaimer - The Hunger Games and all characters are owned by the lovely Suzanne Collins, and I am not her. I assume she wouldn't feel the need to write on FANfiction...?  
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****No lyrics are used in this story other than the title. The song _C'est la Mort_ is property of The Civil Wars.**-  
**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

He sits in his living room in Victor's Village. There are no lights on and the curtains are closed. He likes it that way. Light reminds him of her - the light that used to shine so brightly from those blue eyes. The light was lost somewhere in the dark depths of her Capitol cell. After all, how can a flower still stand tall and shining with colors, when there's no sunshine for it to feed on? No, her light faded more and more with every cut, shock and strike those monsters delivered. She told him about it once, when she cried all night the first night she awoke in District 13. He stayed at her bedside, holding her all night, fighting his own battle with alcohol withdrawal and sleep deprivation. He pushed all his pain aside for her, and it took him until it was too late to figure out why. It's clear to him now, what he denied for so many long years of working with her. All the lingering stares, looking into each others eyes, neither daring to speak the words they were both so afraid of. He hates himself now. He's a coward. He thinks that if he had just said the words she was longing to hear, the words he was longing to say, she might have come home. She belongs here with him so they can share their pain together. There is a deep connection between them. It remains there as an unspoken promise made on one of those nights in the hospital. They shared each others pain, and they swore, simply with an embrace, that they would fight together from now on. She belongs here with him. They both know it, but neither dared say it.

He takes a sip from his glass of water. He's sunk to new lows without her. He won't even drink. He's sober for two reasons: she asked him to be, and he doesn't feel he deserves the escape. He feels like he should have to deal with his pain. He feels he deserves to suffer. There will be no more pushing it aside for him. He deserves to hurt. He just sits there, day after day, in the same seat, staring at the same spot on the wall in the dark. He is lost in his thoughts, day after day, night after night. He won't even cry anymore. The tears never change anything. All he can do is sit there and wait for darkness to consume him. He doesn't know when it will happen, but he already lives surrounded by darkness. He longs for her comfortable light to engulf his life like a flame as it used to. He spends his days lost in his memories of her. On this particular day, it's like she's actually here, touching his hand. He can smell her expensive, sweet perfume. He can hear the softer voice of the real woman, and not the screech of the Capitol's puppet. He knows the real her from the days holding her in hospital, just listening to her and crying with her. Vaguely, he hears the kids come to his house every now and then, to clean and bring food, only to return the next day and sigh because he hasn't eaten again. Through the mist of his memories he sees their sympathetic faces, how they look at him with concern. He hates when they open the curtains and let in a light he doesn't deserve. There's only one light he wants.

Somewhere in distant reality, there's a soft tap. He thinks it's his door, which is strange because the kids don't knock. They know he won't answer. He ignores it, but can't escape back into peace because the knocking continues, but a little louder this time. With a grunt, he rises and makes his way to the front door. Before he knows it, he's looking into those deep blue eyes and it feels like his heart has stopped and broken at the same time. They are the eyes he grew to love, but there's something different about them. They are almost absent. It takes her voice softly saying his name for him to realize that these worn, miserable eyes and the bright, exuberant eyes of his past are one and the same. They stare; eyes fixed on each others – soft blue locked with shimmering gray. Without warning, he feels tears running down his face, silently, an image also reflected on her beautiful, natural face. He reaches out to feel her soft, long blonde curls that hang loosely around her face. Her hand finds his cheek and rests there, her fingertips lightly stroking his stubble. His hand drifts to lightly stroke her face. She's real. He can't lose her again. She has to stay with him this time. He leans in slowly, eyes locked on hers, and places a soft, delicate kiss on her lips, his hand gently caressing her face and hair. She responds immediately, returning the kiss with one of her own. His left hand finds her waist while his right remains in her hair. One of her hands drapes over his shoulder, the other still gently resting on his face. They find themselves pouring every suppressed emotion into this moment. They stand there on his doorstep for what feels like an eternity, yet it is still not long enough. When the need for air takes over, they remain in the embrace, foreheads resting together and eyes locked. He whispers the words against her lips, and her heart leaps. _I love you. _She responds with a kiss and breathes the words back at him against his lips. He stares into her eyes, and somewhere in their depths is a clear spark. He feels hope, a now alien feeling. All he can do is kiss her again, and she responds eagerly, a smile playing on both their lips.

"You and me, sweetheart." He mutters against her lips. She smiles and leans her forehead against his again.

"Forever?" She questions with pleading clear in her eyes. He kisses her again.

"Forever, I promise."

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**Let me know what you thought please? Reviews etc are very much appreciated. Remember the challenge. ;) Thank you guys. :)**


	7. You And Me, Forevermore

**A/N: Hello all! So, this is like an epilogue to the previous chapter, but it can also be a standalone chapter in its own right. It's up to you how you see it, I guess. I just thought it would be nice.**

**I want to thank everyone for all the feedback on these short stories so far. A huge thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter. I enjoyed the use of "squiggle". It genuinely made me laugh a lot. Such a good word, I think. You can't help but smile when you say it. It's a happy word. The best kind. Anyway... moving on... I really do appreciate people taking the time to review and favourite and what not. I'm amazed that people actually read what I write, never mind anything else, so thank you all so much! :)**

**I'll just clear up a time-leap thing in this. It takes place roughly 7 years after the previous chapter. The boy is 6 and the girl is 4. I know they're rather good at talking already, but I imagine with a mother like Effie Trinket, you'd learn to talk pretty damn quick. :P Also, my niece and nephew talk very well, and they're only 6 and 4, so I based the kids' dialogue on their talking abilities.**

**Sorry for any mistakes in this. I had it mostly written earlier and my laptop decided it'd be funny to just turn itself off. Needless to say, I was far from amused, but fear not! I've had words and we've come to an understanding. (Yes, I talk to inanimate objects often.) So I've had to re-write this over the past few hours, and it's now 5:26am here in England. Strangely, I've passed the "tired phase" and I'm feeling pretty wide awake. Notify me of any mistakes and I shall correct them.**

**Enough from me! Enjoy. :)**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

Effie stands at the kitchen sink, watching through the window as her children play in the garden. She's lost in her own little world as she watches them; love and adoration clear in her blue eyes. She smiles as she watches them laugh and play, feeling an infinite, unconditional love for her small family.

After everything that happened during the rebellion, the doctors had told her that, due to extensive damage, it would be unlikely, if not impossible, for her to ever have children. Naturally, she and Haymitch had no reason to exercise caution, as there was no risk of pregnancy. Of course, it's easy to imagine the shock they received when the District 12 doctor delivered the results of the tests. Effie had gone to the doctor after the third morning of vomiting, suffering from what she suspected was just a little food poisoning. They were speechless when the man revealed that Effie was in fact 5 weeks pregnant. She hadn't even taken notice of any of the other symptoms – the lack of menstruation, the slightly increased breast size, the cravings, the slight cramps, headaches and fatigue. After all, pregnancy was impossible, wasn't it? So she had ignored the symptoms. Her being Effie Trinket, the mood swings had gone by virtually unnoticed, though Haymitch wondered if she had finally lost the plot. She certainly snapped easier and a hell of a lot more often.

They held each other as they held their baby boy for the first time, crying tears of joy. It overwhelmed her when she looked down into her son's face and saw her own eyes reflected back at her. He had inherited her bright, icy blue eyes, but his father's messy, dark brown hair. They named him Zachary Cornelius Abernathy, after Haymitch's little brother and Effie's father. Despite the odds being heavily stacked against them, there they were holding their little miracle.

A year and a half later, the first night they shared as Mr and Mrs Abernathy, another miracle occurred and the nine months passed by with no complications. Effie had always wanted a daughter, and as she looked into the Seam gray eyes of her new born baby girl, she felt her heart soar. She was finally getting everything she ever wanted. Her life was on the way to finally being complete. They told her it would never happen, and now here she is, standing in the kitchen, watching her small children run around the garden, carefree and happy.

She hasn't noticed Haymitch silently enter the room, until he snakes his arms around her waist, kissing her neck and shoulder delicately.

"Mmm, hello." She leans back into his embrace, tilting her head to claim a soft kiss and taking his hands in hers.

"Hello yourself. What has my beautiful wife been up to today?" He kisses her neck softly, causing her to sigh happily.

"I've been watching the children playing, mostly." She turns her head to look out of the window again, and Haymitch rests his head on her shoulder, following her gaze. They smile as they watch their little boy's face light up with a cheeky and mischievous grin as he chases a goose around the small enclosure. "He's just like you. A cheeky little devil." The boy walks over to his curious sister, taking her hand and leading her towards one of the smaller geese. She reaches out tentatively to pet it, before giggling at the feel of its feathers. "But he's so caring. He has such a big heart, just like his daddy." They watch as the dark haired boy picks up a large, shining white feather and hands it to his little sister, who examines it, eyes wide in amazement and a huge beam on her face. "He's a wonderful big brother."

"And she's just like you. Got a love for pretty things, just like her mommy. She smiles as wide as you, too. And she's beautiful, just like you." He kisses his wife gently on her neck. "She's like a little mini Effie Trinket. I dread the day that girl becomes a teenager." They both chuckle at the thought of a mini Effie Trinket stomping around and terrorizing District 12.

"Let's go outside and watch them. Enjoy the sun. How's that sound?"

"It sounds wonderful." She turns around to give him a light kiss and takes his hand, walking with him to sit on the chair swing on the back porch.

"Daddy's home!" They hear the sound of fast approaching, excited footsteps. Haymitch stands to pull both children into a big hug before kneeling down to their level.

"Hey kids! Have you had a good day so far?" The boy nods. "What did you do today?" Effie watches her family from the chair swing, smiling as the boy excitedly answers. She loves that he's a spitting image of his father, except he has her blue eyes.

"This morning I went into the woods with Auntie Katniss! It was great! She said I can go again if I'm good! And she showed me how to use a slingshot! I shot a squirrel! It was SO COOL!" Effie purses her lips at this while Haymitch laughs. "And then Uncle Peeta and mommy helped us make cookies! We saved you some! Mommy wouldn't let us eat them all." He frowns briefly, but his face quickly lights up again as he continues. "And then we played in the garden! I played with the geese! They're funny! I like them! And then I helped Amy pet one of them!" The little blonde haired girl, Amelia Rose Abernathy, named after Effie's sister and Haymitch's mother, giggles at the mention of her name.

"I petted the birdies, Daddy!" She giggles and turns to her mother, waddling over to the chair swing. Effie picks her up and cuddles her, sitting the small girl on her lap. "Look, Mommy! Zacky gave me a pretty feather!" Effie smiles down at her daughter.

"Let me see?" Amy reaches out to proudly hand the feather to her mother, who pretends to examine it in detail. "Hmm..." The little girl giggles and Effie smiles at her. "Wow. This is a beautiful feather, isn't it!?" The girl nods, beaming. "You've got to keep it forever, keep it safe. Can you do that? It's a big, big, BIG job!" She grins when her daughter's Seam gray eyes widen in excitement and she lets out a little gasp.

"Yeah, mommy! I can do it!" She nods excitedly at her mother, who watches the girl with an adoring smile. Effie tickles her nose with the feather, causing her to giggle loudly.

"That's my girl!" She hands the feather back to her daughter, who kisses her on the cheek and hops down from the swing.

"I'm gonna put it safe!" With that, the small girl runs into the house. Her parents stare after her with loving smiles, while her brother grins proudly. After all, HE gave her that feather. The girl returns quickly. "It's safe, mommy!" Effie nods at her, smiling, and the little girl beams back.

"Come on, Amy! Let's go play with the birdies again!" Amy giggles with glee and skips down the garden path after her brother, her blonde curls bouncing lightly as she goes. Both children laugh as they play in the small enclosure at the end of the garden. Haymitch joins his wife on the swing again, pulling her closer to his side. She lifts her legs to tuck them underneath her on the swing and cuddles up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"She's so much like you, it's unreal." Haymitch watches, smiling lovingly, as their daughter scolds her big brother for picking up some dirt. Effie's eyes follow his gaze and she sees her small daughter put her hands on her hips and glare at the boy in question. Effie laughs, and it sounds like the sweetest music to Haymitch's ears. He places a light kiss on his wife's forehead. "I wonder where she got that habit from, huh sweetheart?" Effie giggles again and looks up at Haymitch.

"Well if you would just behave yourself, I wouldn't have to scold you and she would not have picked it up." She smiles sweetly up at her husband and he just shakes his head, grinning back. They both return their gaze to the children, just in time to see their son scramble up one of the trees at the end of the garden.

"I knew you'd let him go to the woods eventually." Haymitch smiles down at his wife. Effie chuckles.

"It's not like I really had a choice in the matter. Zach is as stubborn as you AND Katniss."

"That's very true."

"Besides, how could I have said no? You saw how excited he was just telling you about it. I couldn't resist. I couldn't deny him. His little face… he begged me to let him go. I had to."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. At least we know he's safe with Katniss though. She wouldn't ever let anything bad happen."

"Yes. I trust her completely. I know Katniss would look after him. Of course she would. I may have to talk to her about this slingshot business, though."

"Ah, leave it, Effs. It's fine. He's a boy. Boys love shootin' things."

"Haymitch, he's only 6! I cannot let our 6-year-old child play with weapons! It could be dang-"

"Effie. Relax. It. Will. Be. Fine. It's hardly a bow and arrows, is it? It's just a slingshot. I had one when I was a kid. Trust me. Like I said, boys love shootin' stuff." Effie sighs and nods, cuddling closer to her husband.

"You're such a… typical man." She smiles and he laughs.

"And you're such a typical woman."

"You're right, Haymitch. Only a woman could look after 3 children and herself, all the while keeping everything on track and organized AND making sure the house is spotless and everything's in order." She grins up at her husband, who looks confused, but smiles down at her anyway.

"Who's the third child?

She smirks. "Like I said, you're a typical man. You never grow up." Haymitch feigns shock and hurt, gasping.

"Me? A child?" She slaps him playfully on the chest, laughing, and looks up at him.

"Yes. You." She reaches up and kisses him on the cheek. He turns his head to claim her lips with his. "But I love you… no matter what age you are mentally." She grins at him and he kisses her on the forehead.

"I love you too, sweetheart. You're everything to me. You and our beautiful kids." Effie pouts a little, creasing her eyebrows in thought, and turns her head towards the children. She sighs as she watches them laugh and play. Haymitch notices the glimmer of adoration and longing in her eyes. They sit in silence for a few minutes.

"What are you thinking about?" She looks back at him with the same thoughtful expression on her face, biting her lip.

"Haymitch, I…" She looks back to the children and sighs, before turning to face her husband again. "Haymitch, I want another baby." He raises his eyebrows in shock.

"You… Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I'm fast approaching 40, not getting any younger. I want to have another child while I still can. Maybe more than one. They're growing up so fast."

"It's just… it's a big decision."

"I know it is. Of course it is. I've thought about it. I want another baby before it's too late. After everything that happened in the war, when they told me I couldn't… I cried so much. You know I did. You held me, even cried with me sometimes. It broke my heart, Haymitch. I had always wanted children of my own. Always. It felt like someone tore a hole right through my soul when they told me I couldn't have the only thing I've ever truly wanted – a family of my own. Deep down, I think, I would have always been miserable without them, even if I had you. I can't imagine a life without them." She looks down the garden at the happy children. "So now, I'm sitting here with MY husband, watching MY children laugh and play, without a care in the world, and it amazes me. It's the best feeling on Earth." She turns back to her husband. "Even when I was pregnant, I couldn't believe it was real, but then, when we held our little boy for the first time… Oh, Haymitch, it was the most incredible, overwhelming feeling I've ever known. They told me I would never know that feeling, never watch my children play, never look down at their faces for the first time… but a miracle happened for us. And then when we held our daughter, I was overcome with love and joy yet again - our second little miracle. And just watching them play… I've never felt as happy as I do now, sitting here with you and watching OUR children. Our family…" She sighs and looks down at the ground. "I've had 5 truly happy moments in my life: when you first told me you loved me, when the kids won the Games, when I finally became your wife, and the births of each of our children. I just… I want some more happy moments, while I still can. Don't get me wrong; I am so happy with you and our family… so incredibly happy… But they help me heal. You help me heal. This family… I just want more children. I want to feel even more complete than I already do. They told me I couldn't be a mother, and now that I am one I just can't get enough. I don't want to stop yet. I love them so much."

Haymitch, having listening intently to her words, takes in a deep breath and slowly exhales, running a hand through his messy, dark hair.

"Look, I get it, but what if we can't, sweetheart? What if it just doesn't happen again? It was supposed to be impossible. A miracle happened twice for us. We don't know if it will again, and we probably shouldn't push our luck. "

"Haymitch, please. It happened twice, it WILL happen again. I just know it. I know this is right. I can feel it." Haymitch sighs. Effie lays a hand on his chest, urging him to agree. "I need this, Haymitch. Please." He looks into her pleading blue eyes and his resolve melts away instantly. He closes his eyes and nods.

"Okay. Fine. We'll have another baby." She smiles widely, overcome with happiness.

"Really? You'll do that for me?"

"Sweetheart, I'd do anything for you. But it's not just for you. I want another baby too. I just hope we have another boy. The world will have its hands full with two Effie Trinkets, never mind three." Haymitch laughs. Effie smiles and rolls her eyes at him.

"Abernathy." Haymitch looks down at her, confused.

"What?" She looks up at him and smiles softly.

"It's Effie Abernathy." A wide smile finds its way onto Haymitch's face as he leans down to capture his wife's lips in a long, passionate kiss. All too soon, a loud "Ewwwwww" from the other side of the garden interrupts them. They look up, laughing, to see their son looking at them in horror and disgust.

"I hope you can handle 3 kids, sweetheart."

"I already do, Haymitch." She gives him a cheeky grin and he chuckles, kissing her once more, softly.


	8. Strawberries

**A/N: I wanted to update this for you guys, but I had a shortage of ideas. I don't wanna do something that I wanna use in my E&H series later on, so I had to just have a little think. In the end I came up with this. We all know how much Effie loves her chocolate covered strawberries, but what if Haymitch likes them too? I sense a strawberry war coming on! Let the battle commence. (I'd be cliche and say let the games begin, but I thought I'd live a little and be adventurous.)**

**I must say, I was kinda disappointed with the response to the last chapter. No reviews or anything. :( Bit of a buzz kill. I didn't think it was ****_that_**** bad? Cheer me up guys?**

**Also, I have posted my new story: ****_Effie & Haymitch: The Early Years_****. It's partially a rewrite of ****_Things That Happened In The Past_****, but I'm done with rewrite chapters now so it's smooth sailing from here on in, and on with the story. Take a gander and let me know what you think. I'll be updating in a short while.**

**Finally, I would like to let you all know that I am going to be accepting prompts/requests from all of you lovely people! It'd be helpful and also a chance for me to see what you guys wanna see. If you either review or PM me a prompt, I can promise you that I WILL get around to writing it eventually, depending on how many I receive, obviously, but all will get done. :)**

**On with the story.**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

It's 2am in the Capitol. Haymitch slouches on the sofa in the lounge of the penthouse, a glass of whiskey in one hand and one of Effie's beloved chocolate covered strawberries in the other. Plagued by nightmares of his past, he had decided at around midnight to give up trying to sleep and leave his room for a little liquid therapy. He was searching in the fridge for a midnight snack, when he found a large tub of juicy looking chocolate covered strawberries. He'd never tried them before, but he figured if Effie was always ranting and raving about them, they've gotta be worth a try. Once settled on the sofa, he tucked in to his midnight snack and was pleasantly surprised. They were damn good. Soon after, he realized another positive to his new found liking - he could wind Effie up if he ate them all. He started working on clearing the tub, one by one, smiling to himself.

Haymitch reaches the last dozen strawberries in the tub, but pauses in his movement as he hears a door quietly open down the hall. He freezes, silently watching through the dark, to see Effie doing her best attempt at stealth as she sneaks over to the kitchen. He watches as she opens the fridge and begins to search. The light from the fridge reveals her properly to him. She's stripped of all things Capitol, except the thigh-length, purple silk nightgown and matching robe that she wears. Her blonde hair falls in loose curls, just past her shoulders, and he thinks she looks more youthful without the 10 million inches of makeup she wears. The alcohol even makes him brave enough to go as far as to say she's beautiful, but he doubts he'd think that sober. He couldn't be attracted to someone like her, could he? No. Of course he couldn't. No way in hell! He smirks as she grows more frustrated, and hears her quietly curse to herself.

"Looking for something, sweetheart?" She jumps, gasping and quickly turning to search the dark for the source of the voice. He stands up, so that the moonlight lights up his face enough for her to see.

"Haymitch! Heavens, you scared me!" He grins at her.

"After a little midnight snack, are we?" She stutters guiltily.

"N-No... I-I was..." She takes a deep breath, and Haymitch grins. "Firstly, it's 2am, not midnight. And secondly, I couldn't sleep."

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I won't tell anyone. So... what were you looking for?"

"Oh, just the-" He doesn't let her finish, picking up the nearly empty tub of strawberries from the table.

"Were you looking for these?" He grins at her and she gasps.

"Oh, Haymitch! You've eaten nearly all of them!" She gains some confidence and marches over to him, standing with one hand on her hip and the other outstretched. "Give them to me." He laughs at her attempt to look intimidating. With her heels, she's only a few inches shorter than him, but without, she barely reaches his chin. He looks down at her grinning, holding the tub above his head.

"Manners, Princess." She sighs, clearly frustrated, and he loves that he can wind her up so easily.

"Fine. Haymitch, give them to me, _please_." Still grinning, he glances down at her pursed lips.

Somewhere through the drunken haze of his mind, he vaguely wonders if Effie tastes like strawberries and chocolate. Part of him wants to know. He takes another strawberry and holds it out to her, snatching it away at the last second. She huffs, muttering something that sounds like "immature", but he doesn't care.

"If you want 'em, Princess..." he pops the strawberry into his mouth. "You'll have to come get 'em." She scowls at him. How dare he steal _her_ strawberries and taunt her with them by eating them _right in front of her_!? No. This will not do.

"Give them to me!" She pounces, throwing herself at him with as much force as she can muster in her tiny body and reaching up for the strawberries. Haymitch, semi-drunk and unprepared, stumbles backwards with the unexpected force. Grabbing her hip with one hand in a feeble attempt at regaining balance, he falls backwards onto the sofa, pulling a very shocked Effie with him. She squeals, landing with a huff on top of him. At some point during the fall, his hand somehow managed to snake its way further around her waist. She gasps when she looks up to realize just how close they are, her body flat against his. One hand rests pathetically on his shoulder, while the other is raised above his head, gripping the wrist of the hand that holds the strawberries. His lips are so close to hers that she can feel his warm breath tickle the skin of her lips every time he exhales. She absently licks her lips at the slight taste of alcohol and chocolate covered strawberries. Somehow, it's a good mix. She finds herself wanting more.

His hand rests on the small of her back, and his thumb begins to move slightly, softly caressing her skin through the silk nightgown. He glances down at her lips and catches her wetting them with her tongue. He finds himself mirroring her actions, still wondering if she tastes as good as the strawberries. He wants to know. He's _aching_ to know, and deep down he knows it's not just because of the alcohol. He glances back up to find her icy blue eyes locked with his, alight with an emotion he can't quite name, but understands well.

"Haymitch?" her voice comes out a whisper, a breath that lightly tickles his lips and tastes as sweet on his tongue as his name sounds rolling off hers. He can finally name the emotion in her eyes. Desire.

He lets go of the tub of strawberries, bringing his hand down to cup her cheek and pull her lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss. She melts into his touch instantly, sighing as the exquisite taste envelopes her mouth completely. She moves both her hands to cling to his shirt, anchoring herself to him. He allows his hand to roam into her soft hair, pulling her face even closer while his other hand tightens around her waist. She tastes sweeter than anything he's ever tasted before, and he finds that he can't get enough.

They explore each other, each intoxicated by the taste and feeling, until the need for air overcomes them. They break apart, gasping for air and trying to slow their frantic heartbeats. He leans his head back on the sofa and she buries her face into the crook of his neck. After a few seconds of gasping, they both burst into laughter. Hearing her laugh makes his stomach flutter. It's a real laugh, not the false, airy, Capitol laugh. He doesn't think he's ever heard her real laugh, and it's sweet music to his ears. He wants to hear more of it, but more than that, he wants to be the cause of it, just like he is tonight. His carefree laughter makes her heart soar. She's only ever heard his sarcastic, hateful laughter, his mischievous chuckle, and his drunken guffaw. To hear what seems to be a genuine, happy laugh, and to be the cause of it, causes a wave of unexpected joy to wash over her. She wants to hear him laugh again. She wants him to laugh with her.

"You really wanted those strawberries, huh, sweetheart?" He gently combs his hand through her soft, now-messy hair, enjoying the feeling of her in her natural state. She nods, giggling and lifting her head slightly to look at him.

"I like them." He smiles at her softly for a moment, before it turns into a mischievous smirk. He glances up at the tub, then back to her.

"Well... I've still got plenty left." She smirks, raising her eyebrow at him in question. "And since neither of us can sleep... Well, we might as well share 'em, don't ya think?." Her smirk turns into a grin, and she kisses him softly on the lips.

"My strawberries, your whiskey?" He grins back at her.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

She stands up, pulling him with her, and moves to retrieve the tub of chocolate covered strawberries, some of which have rolled out of the now-upside-down tub during the passionate exchange. She begins to walk quietly to her room, and Haymitch follows her after grabbing a bottle of whiskey and 2 glasses, closing the door softly behind him.

* * *

**A/N: I'd appreciate feedback, for both this chapter and the last. It's been disappointing. If this doesn't get any either, I'll probably just not bother continuing.**

**Also, please remember to take a look at my other story, ****_Effie & Haymitch: The Early Years_****.**

**And remember guys, send me your prompts! :D **


	9. Katniss' Discovery

**A/N: Thank you for all the feedback! I love you guys! It's overwhelming and humbling to see so many people actually excited about my updates. I love seeing that you guys enjoy them. It means a lot. Can I just say, if you haven't read it yet, please check out my story ****_The Early Years_****. It's gonna be a series following the books but I'm currently pre-THG. I updated it today. :)**

**Now, onto business! NCISfanatical made a request, and I stay true to my word. Here is how I imagine Katniss discovered Hayffie (after the rebellion). Now, I imagine she had always had a hunch, but in Catching Fire and Mockingjay she was a little out of touch with others and distracted by the Games and the Rebellion. This is post-mockingjay, and Effie has just come to 12 to see them all (but she goes to Haymitch first! :D). So, Katniss doesn't know she's here yet, and she decides to visit her mentor at a very awkward time.**

**Enjoy and please review with any more prompts. I enjoy hearing what you guys want to see, and I hope I can deliver something you enjoy from your suggestions.**

**P.S. Dear NCISfanatical, I shall write Cinna's discovery in another chapter. :D**

**This is in Katniss' POV.**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

"Peeta, what time is Effie meant to be here?" I yell up the stairs to him. He's in the study painting, as usual.

"Erm... I'm supposed to go meet her in about an hour. Why?"

"Oh. I was just wondering. I thought if you were still painting then I'd go."

"Okay. That's nice of you, but I really don't mind. I'll be done by then anyways."

"Alright. Look, I'm gonna go see Haymitch. Invite him for dinner with us. I don't know when he last saw Effie. I'll be back soon."

"Sure. That sounds good. See you later."

I leave my house and make my way across the road to my ex-mentor's house. I don't bother knocking. We've all gotten to the point where we don't feel the need to anymore, and none of us lock our doors anyway. We're the closest any of us have to a family. I walk into the house and begin to look for him. There's no point shouting. He's probably asleep somewhere. I check the kitchen and the lounge, but he's not downstairs. I assume he's probably in bed, so I make my way up the stairs, humming to myself. What I find when I open the door to his bedroom shocks, horrifies and amuses me all the same time.

"Hay- oh!" I freeze in the doorway, unable to look away from the sight in front of me.

"What the fuck kid!?"

"Oh my goodness!"

Haymitch quickly rolls to the side, off of the woman he's currently naked in bed with. She gasps and pulls the duvet up to cover herself and save her dignity. My eyes widen.

"Effie?" She pulls the duvet up to cover her now-bright-red face, and murmurs through the thick material.

"Hello Katniss." I'm stunned, in shock, but the only thing my mind can manage to make me do is burst out laughing. I cover my mouth, trying to control my shocked laughter.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were here! I certainly didn't realize that you and Haymitch were-"

"GET THE FUCK OUT KATNISS!" His loud voice finally allows my body to move. I cover my eyes and turn around.

"I'm so sorry!" I move to exit the room, but before I close the door, I remember why I originally came here.

"So... I know this is a little awkward right now, but Peeta and I wanted to invite you to dinner with us this evening... Oh and Effie, I'll let him know you've... arrived."

"Thank you Katniss." She murmurs, still clutching the duvet to her face but allowing her eyes to peer over at me. I smile at her, but struggle to not allow it to turn into a wide grin or laugh.

"We'll be there. Now get the fuck out of my house!" I nod and continue apologizing as I back out of the door and pull it closed behind me.

I lean against the wall for a moment, trying to register what the hell I've just witnessed. Those two are practically parents to me! Thinking back though, I realize that I've always been suspicious of their "mutual hatred". For two people who barely tolerated each other, they certainly knew each other well. They shared a sense of humor, private jokes, always shared little looks with each other, and how the hell did he know she wore a corset!? It was so clear! I stand there, stunned, for a second at the realization it's been going on for years. When I hear Effie giggle from inside the room, I know it's time to make a hasty exit. I run down the stairs and across the street back to my house, allowing myself to laugh again when I am safe behind my closed front door. Peeta comes to the top of the stairs, looking concerned. He's probably wondering what the commotion is.

"Something funny?" He smirks at me laughing. Even I'll admit it's rare since the rebellion.

"I... Urm... So, you don't need to go pick Effie up anymore."

"Oh. Is she not coming?" I laugh harder.

"She's already here."

"Oh?" He looks confused.

"She's with Haymitch... I, urm... Let's just say, I picked a bad time to go over there." His expression changes from confused to understanding, before turning to an absolute look of shock and horror.

"You mean they...? Oh my God! What happened!?" His face turns to amusement and he runs down the stairs to me, leading me to the sofa.

"Tell me!" His eyes are lit up with amusement, and I can't refuse. I decide I'll miss out the gory details to save them a little dignity.

"I went over there and he wasn't downstairs. I assumed he was in bed, and... I guess I was kinda right."

"Were they together!?" He's grinning as if I'm telling him the funniest thing ever.

"They were... well, it's a good job the duvet was there, put it that way."

He bursts into laughter and I find myself laughing with him. After we calm down, he reaches up to caress my cheek, smiling.

"It's so good to hear you laugh again." I smile at him.

"Who'd have guessed THAT would be the reason behind it?" We both chuckle.

"Haymitch and Effie, huh? Who'd have thought it?"

"Well it certainly shocked me." We both laugh lightly again at this and he gently kisses me on the lips. I kiss him back softly, smiling. He grins at me.

"So... dinner's gonna be pretty awkward tonight."


	10. Cinna's Discovery

**A/N: So this is part 2 of NCISfanatical's request. :) Cinna's turn to find out about Hayffie. This takes place during the Victory Tour. Cinna's POV. Let me know what you think and don't forget to submit your own prompts for me. Feel free to submit more than one if you want to. The more there are, the more I have to work with, and therefore, the more I can write for you guys! TA-DAH! Magic ;) :P I do hope you enjoy, I had a lot of fun writing this one. (I rewrote it like 4 times cause I couldn't get it right, but now I like it :D)  
**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

I walk through the train, carrying a black bag that holds the dress I designed for Effie. I've been very busy with the designs for Katniss, but Effie's a friend and I know she likes us to look like a team. I had a spare few hours this morning, what with us simply traveling, so I figured I might as well use my hours wisely.

I reach the door to Effie's room and knock gently.

"Effie? I've brought a new dress for you, darling." I wait. There's no answer, and I can't walk around the train with a dress all day until I find her. I might as well just leave it in the room for her with a note. I open the door gently and hear the shower running in the bathroom. I don't want to bother her, so I'll just lay it out for her. I find her notebook and a pen on the desk and begin to write.

_'Effie, darling.'_

I hear a noise that interrupts my thoughts. A giggle. I lift my head, looking towards the bathroom door. Why would she be giggling? When I hear the next few noises, I realize exactly why she's giggling. She's with a man. She's very lucky it's just me and not Katniss or Peeta in her room right now. Even a Capitol attendant walking in right now could be disastrous. As a stylist, I'm used to seeing naked bodies and the concept of sex, so it doesn't bother me or embarrass me to be hearing this. I can only imagine what Katniss' reaction would be. At the same time, I respect their privacy and needs. I suddenly realize something - there's only two other men on our team, one of which is gay. She's with Haymitch. Come to think of it, I haven't seen either of them since lunch. I'm brought out of my thoughts by more noise, and it's clear that they're way past foreplay by now. Muffled by the sound of the shower, I hear her moan his name and he groans in reply. I have to give them their privacy and quickly. I turn back to my letter.

_'I came in here to bring you a dress that I designed for you. It's designed so that you match our little "Team Mockingjay" when we arrive at the Capitol for celebrations. I would like you to perhaps wear it for the Victor's Ball, if you choose to, of course. I was going to ensure that it fits you properly, but I noticed you were' _I hesitate, not sure what to write. I go for the obvious._ 'showering, so I've laid it out on the bed for you. Please try it on and tell me at dinner if it fits you and any alterations I need to make. Please be careful with it, and be sure to move it CAREFULLY to the wardrobe before using the bed._

_Cinna.'_

By now, I hear their moans growing louder and occurring more often, so I quickly place the note on the bed and leave the room.

I make my way out of the room, closing the door quietly and hastily retreating back to Portia in the dining car. I can't help but grin on my way through the train. I always knew those two didn't really hate each other.

As I enter the carriage, she looks up at me smiling, but her expression soon changes to one of questioning when she notices my smirk. I shake my head and let out a light chuckle, sitting back down in my seat opposite her.

"Do share the joke?" she smiles at me.

"Would you assume that Effie hates Haymitch, and vice versa?" She looks puzzled by my question for a second, but considers her answer for a minute or so.

"No. I wouldn't." I raise my eyebrows, urging her to elaborate.

"No?"

"Well, I'm a woman, and I see the way she looks at him. What I also see is the way he looks at her. The fact that they spend a lot of time together would surely cause them to bond. Perhaps first as friends, like you and I, but I do believe that over time this grew to something more. It's very clear to me that each of them needs the other, deep down. I think they share a connection. A bond."

"Interesting. How long have you thought this?"

"Since the first day we met them." She smiles at the memory. "Do you remember how they bickered for the whole meal?" I nod and smile with her. We had been for a meal at a high-class, expensive, new Capitol restaurant with the two of them in order to get to know each other and discuss strategies. They had indeed bickered non-stop about everything, but it was clear that most of what they said was in a teasing manner. They were good enough at their act to keep up public appearances, but both Portia and I have the gift of being rather perceptive. Call it "artist's intuition". We saw through their act. It partially helped that I happened to notice something as we sat afterwards for drinks and conversation. Effie had kept her left hand under the table at all times. I could tell from the angle that she was resting it on Haymitch's lap. I also noticed how he would sometimes clench his jaw or tense up and suck in a sharp breath, and I couldn't miss the hint of mischief in Effie's eyes as she very subtly moved her hand. Of course, they think we hadn't noticed, but we had. We were just too polite to mention something. I had decided from that very first moment that I would get along with my new colleagues just fine. They seemed to possess the perfect amount of subtle rebellion. Over the past year, I've come to realize that it is a little game they play often. Every time we sit at a table, one of their hands will remain under the table at all times and the rest of us get to view the other trying their best not to react. It's amusing, really. I wouldn't be shocked if any tributes have ever noticed. I would bet any money that Peeta has. He has the same artist perception as Portia and I. I sometimes see him smirk with a knowing look on his face when Effie and Haymitch argue.

"Why do you ask anyway?" Portia's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Well, when I went to drop off the dress, he was there." She looks a little shocked, raising her eyebrows at me.

"He was? Why?"

"I would have asked him, but they were a little... busy." I smirk at her and she looks puzzled.

"Busy? Doing wh-?" her eyes widen in realization. "Oh my." She giggles a little, fully understanding my implications. "Where? Did you walk in on them? What did you do? Oh my, Cinna!" I smile at her excitement.

"Calm down, darling. I didn't see them. They were in the bathroom."

"The bathroom? Classy." She giggles again.

"Oh, the bed looked like it had recently been occupied. I do believe they were in the process of preparing for dinner."

"Save time and water I guess." she murmurs, smirking, and I grin back at her. "You missed a question! What did you do?"

"Simple. I placed the dress on the bed and left her a note to try it on. Then I left."

"So, she doesn't know you know?"

"No, I don't think so. She wouldn't have heard me enter over the sound of the shower and their... activities. For all she knows, I took the dress before they began to make any noise." Portia giggles again and I smile softly at her. She's a few years my junior, and she feels like somewhat of a little sister to me. I care for her deeply. I had originally hired her as an intern, but I quickly saw her talent and potential. From then on we became a team.

"I must say though, I cannot blame the woman. Shower sex is fabulous." She grins at me and I laugh softly at her.

"You wretched woman." She laughs.

* * *

Effie enters the room looking a little flustered, but other than that you can't tell she has indulged in this afternoon's activities. She sits down next to Portia and greets us, smiling, but she ensures to avoid eye contact with me. I smile at her in return.

"Oh, Haymitch is never on time! Where is that insufferable man?" Effie huffs and I bite back a chuckle. As if rehearsed, Haymitch saunters in a few seconds later and takes the seat next to her. I smile. One has to love ever-so-casual, post-sex, staggered entrances. They greet each other and Haymitch greets us. I give him a knowing smirk, for which he looks at me curiously. He's about to open his mouth to question me when Katniss and Peeta walk in.

"Ah, excellent! We can eat! I have worked up quite an appetite today!" Effie says happily and Haymitch smirks. We all fill our plates and tuck in. I notice the usual dinner-routine for the secret lovers opposite from me, but today it is Haymitch with his hand under the table. I must give her credit, Effie is very good at masking her reactions, but she looks mortified when she lets out a loud squeak that is clearly beyond her control. Her hand immediately flies to cover her mouth as Haymitch grins, smug. I mask my smirk as a caring smile.

"Are you alright, Effie?" I ask her and she blushes so red that it's even visible through her thick make-up.

"Oh. Y-yes, I'm fine. I just felt like something touched me." She glances at Haymitch and he smirks at her. I can tell she's fighting a smirk too.

"Oh really, sweetheart?" Haymitch asks, still grinning at her. "Where did it touch you?" Their eyes are locked and I can hear the flirting tone in his voice. He winks at her, and Effie's blush deepens. She attempts a glare at Haymitch, but I can see the amusement and lust in her eyes and her lips hold a very slight, almost imperceptible smirk. I've never seen them act this forward in public, but I've seen that look flash in both their eyes when they argue.

"My leg, Mr Abernathy! Not that it's any of _your_ business." They hold each others gaze, and I can tell they're in their own little bubble right now. "Although, come to think of it, it was probably you that touched me. I'm sure a drunken buffoon like you would not think twice about sexually harassing a lady." He grins at her.

"Firstly, sweetheart, you'd have to actually _be_ a lady for that statement to apply, and secondly..." He lets his eyes roam down to her waist and back up. "I wouldn't even think once about it." She turns her body a little more to face him.

"Is that so? I'll have you know that I AM a lady, as you damn well know, and I certainly never heard you compla-" I clear my throat, softly enough to not be rude, but loud enough to stop that sentence before it went where I could tell it was going. Effie jumps slightly, as if she forgot our presence, and quickly turns back around, her now-wide-eyes locked onto her plate. I notice Katniss giving Peeta confused glances and curiously eying her blushing Escort and smug Mentor, while Peeta focuses on his plate, a slight smirk on his face. Portia smiles into her wine glass. I decide to move the conversation on.

"So, Effie, did you try on your dress?" She glances up at me and smiles widely, but I can tell it's a little forced. I can see her relief at the change of subject though.

"Yes, I did."

"What did you think of it?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Oh, Cinna! It's absolutely marvelous!" Her smile relaxes a little and becomes genuine rather than forced. I smile at her.

"Thank you. I thought you'd like it. How does it fit?"

"It fits perfectly, of course! You have an amazing eye, darling!"

"Well, put it down to years of experience and an outstanding female partner." Portia smiles at me and blushes a little. She's never been one to take compliments arrogantly.

"Well, both of you are amazing! Unmatched by any other styling team, I assure you." I smile and thank her, feeling proud at her kind words. Portia and I have truly come a long way from our small, back-street boutique. Silence falls again, and it quickly grows awkward. I notice that everyone glances at everyone else every now and then. Effie will glance at me when she thinks I'm not looking, and Haymitch when she thinks _nobody_ is looking, while Haymitch openly glances at her, smirking. Katniss glances up at me, then to Effie and Haymitch, and finally back to Peeta. Portia glances to her right, where Effie and Haymitch are seated, and then smirks up at me before her eyes flash briefly to the kids. Peeta keeps his eyes on his plate, but every now and then glances up at Effie and Haymitch, before sharing a slight smirk with Portia and looking back down to his plate. It warms my heart to see how much Portia has bonded with the boy. She cares for the both of them as much as I do. I clear my throat again, lightly, trying to break the silence that has lasted for a good 5 minutes.

"So... Haymitch..." He turns his head away from Effie's direction and to me. I smirk slightly as I ask "What did you think of Effie's dress? I'm sure she tried it on for you." Portia chokes slightly on her wine, and tries to hide her laughter. She grins at me as Effie's eyes widen and a deep, scarlet blush appears on her cheeks. Haymitch's eyes widen briefly, but then narrow a little.

"I... uh... I ain't seen no dress." He mumbles, before focusing intently on his plate.

"Oh, but I thought I heard you _talking_ in her room earlier. I assumed it would be about her dress, since she most likely tried it on after her _shower_." I grin at Portia, who is silently chuckling into her wine glass. I notice desperation and despair in Effie's eyes. I can tell she wants the ground to swallow her up, but she responds by simply letting out a quiet whimper. She picks up her wine glass, and I happen to notice that she takes slightly desperate gulps of the liquid, rather than her usual ladylike sip. Haymitch opens and closes his mouth for a few seconds, looking like a goldfish.

"Strategy." He mumbles, before picking up his glass of liquor and draining it in one chug.

"Oh, I see. How silly of me to assume otherwise." I give the two of them a knowing smirk, before smiling at Portia and her failing attempts at hiding her laughter. I glance to Katniss and Peeta to see if they caught on.

Peeta smiles down at his plate, a slight blush on his cheeks. Katniss looks confused and, quite frankly, pissed off at not understanding the joke.

I'm sure she'll figure it out eventually.

* * *

**A/N: There you go, NCISfanatical, my lovely. I hope you enjoyed what I did with your prompts, and I hope everyone else enjoyed reading them too! :D Do get in touch with any other prompts you might have. All are welcome, no matter what rating they may end up. I shall write whatever is requested of me. :)**


	11. The Note

**A/N: The response to the previous chapter was amazing! You guys are awesome people! Thank you all so much. My only concern is that now I have to match/beat that quality. ARGH! I'm doing this prompt cause it fits with the Cinna chapter. This one's from Belabsouza - "When Effie and Haymitch found the note" :D This one was difficult, cause I didn't know where I should start. It'd be really short if I did them just finding it, but I didn't want to go too much into dinner cause it's been done. I compromised a little.**** [NCISfanatical, I shall do yours after, since I've just done 2 of yours, you lucky bugger. :P :)] **

**I'm sorry it's taken me a few days. I meant to update the other day but I was fangirling over sheet music and the Game Of Thrones theme tune we might be getting for my concert band. It's exciting. First and foremost I am a proud band geek. So yeah. I'm sorry for the delay. Sheet music and good arrangements are my weakness. I have also been watching Lord Of The Rings a lot. I'm a complete nerd. But I love it!  
**

**Also you lovely people, I now have Tumblr. I'm still learning the ropes and stuff, but I'll post random Hayffie/THG stuff and perhaps some update alerts or sneak peeks, so follow me if you want to (and so I can follow you back! I promise I will.) at ABlazingMockingjay :)**

**NOW FOR SOME HAYFFIEEEEEEEEEEE! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! But just so you all know, there's no frigging way in hell I can top the last chapter... at least not yet.  
**

**Enjoy.**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

I moan his name as the pleasure overcomes me, and he groans into my shoulder as he joins me in bliss. He collapses against me, placing gentle, sloppy kisses along my shoulder, neck and collarbone while I lean back on the wall. The hot water from the shower cascades over us, and I feel completely and utterly relaxed and peaceful. We're still breathing heavily when he lifts his head to look at me. I reach up and gently sweep aside some of his dark, wet hair that has gotten stuck to his face. I allow my hand to rest on his shoulder, my thumb gently stroking his jaw. He smiles and returns the gesture, his hand coming to rest on my cheek. I lean into his palm, smiling as he tilts his head to place a soft kiss against my hand. His eyes meet mine again and he leans in slowly to kiss my lips gently. I sigh happily as our lips meet again, returning his kiss eagerly. He keeps it gentle, but there's so much passion that it makes my heart flutter. It almost feels like love. _Almost_. I'm not sure when the sex between us turned into making _almost-_love. If you'd have told me 5 years ago that I would ever be able to be comfortable passionately kissing Haymitch Abernathy while naked in the shower shortly after having sex with him... well, I'd have told you to go get yourself a therapist. But here I am, here WE are... yet again.

He places one last soft, lingering kiss on my lips and pulls away to rest his forehead against mine, sliding his hand down to join his other at my waist. I lift my other hand to rest on his shoulders, gently stroking his dripping hair away. He rolls his eyes when it falls straight back into his face, which makes me laugh.

"You need a haircut." I smile at him.

"Nah. It'll be fine." He pulls back a little and shakes his hair, much like a dog, spraying me with water and causing me to giggle. He smiles, looking at me with an unreadable expression - but I'm _sure_ it's _not_ love - and leans forward to kiss me lightly on the nose. I hum in approval as he rests his forehead against mine once more, and I bring my hand from the back of his neck to caress his cheek. As I look into his silver eyes, smiling, I wish I had seen this sweet side of him the first year I knew him. I must be looking at him curiously, because he questions me, smiling.

"What?" He murmurs against my lips.

"You can be so sweet when you want to be." I whisper to him, and he places a soft kiss against my lips and grins.

"Don't get used to it, sweetheart." I caress his cheek again.

"But I like it. I love this side of you." I mentally kick myself in the face. NOT LOVE! He doesn't seem to notice my slip-up. He just smiles and reaches up to stroke some stray hair away from my face.

"You like it do you?" I nod and he studies my face, smiling softly. He strokes his hand through my hair and I let out a sigh and close my eyes. "Mm... beautiful girl." I open my eyes to look at him. His expression is intense but soft, and our eyes lock. I feel my heart flutter again. I want to kiss him. I want him to kiss me. I just _want him_ again. He seems to either read my mind or want the same, because he claims my lips passionately. I moan and melt into the kiss immediately, clutching his hair to pull him closer. I feel his tongue gently brush along my lips, so I open my mouth to grant him access, moaning when I feel his tongue against mine. His hand slides down my body, causing me to shudder as his fingers gently drift over my chest. He gives my behind a light squeeze, pulling me closer, and I feel his body reacting to mine. His mouth moves to my neck, kissing and sucking on the skin of my shoulder. When I scrape my nails lightly across his scalp, he growls, causing me to giggle, but he silences me by biting down on my shoulder - not enough to _really_ hurt, but enough to surely leave a mark. It causes me to gasp and let out a moan, which he muffles by kissing me hard on the lips. His hands reach down to the top of my thighs and he lifts me off the ground, pinning me to the wall with his body. I kiss him back with all that I have, because I simply cannot get enough of the pure electricity his touch causes in my veins. He moans against my lips from the friction when I wrap my legs around his waist, which makes me smile. I love that I can have this effect on him, just as he does on me. I feel the lust and desire washing over my entire body. He pulls back from the kiss and rests his forehead against mine again. His eyes question me, and my answer requires no words. I need him. I kiss his lips, then work my way along his jaw and down to his neck. He understands, and I moan his name against his neck when we become one. He groans in reply, leaning his face down to kiss my shoulder, neck and anywhere else he can reach. The hot water heightens every sensation as we move together, and I lose complete control of any noises that escape my lips - though I am vaguely aware there are many. Our hands and lips roam each other wherever we can reach. When the sensations become too much, I beg him for more and he obliges, quickening the pace. I climax quickly, crying out his name, and he follows soon after. He groans and whispers my name against my shoulder, kissing me softly there.

We remain clinging to each other, softly kissing each other and allowing the soothing water to relax us once more; although here in his arms, I feel safer and more relaxed than ever before, even without the water. I feel him kiss softly up to my ear.

"You're an amazing woman, Effie." He murmurs, wrapping his arms a little tighter around me. I smile into his shoulder and cling to him tighter, and I realize I don't ever want to let him go. I don't love him... I can't love him... but I think I do... I _know_ I do. I want nothing more than to kiss him and tell him I love him and have him kiss me back like in one of those romantic Capitol movies, but I have a feeling he'll run away. I know he's scared of love.

"Haymitch." I mutter, pulling back to urge him to look at me. He lifts his head and we stare into each others eyes, noses touching. I find myself lost in his shimmering silver eyes, and I almost tell him. I almost say the 3 words that will send him running, never to return. Somehow, I stop myself and settle for kissing him instead. After a moment or two, I pull back again. "Haymitch, we need to prepare for dinner." I smile apologetically at him as he whines and buries his face into my shoulder. He murmurs a muffled "No!" and I chuckle at him.

"We have to, Haymitch. Everyone is expecting us, and it would look suspicious if I don't show up, never mind how it would look if we skip it _together_. We have to go. I'm sorry." He lifts his head, a thoughtful expression on his face which soon turns into a cheeky grin.

"Or - and hear me out here - we could stay here" He kisses me on the lips, trailing kisses slowly along my jaw, to my neck and shoulder, sneaking ever lower. He murmurs against my skin in between kisses. I let out a soft moan. "and I could keep kissing you like this" He lifts one hand from my waist to trail his fingers over my body. I bite my lip to stop any noise escaping my lips again. I cannot give in, but I so want to. "and I could keep touching you like this" I whimper when he trails his lips and tongue up to my ear. "and I could make love to you again and again, all night." A moan escapes my lips, but I disguise it as if I'm clearing my throat. Haymitch isn't fooled, and chuckles lightly into my ear. The low sound makes all of the desire flow through me again, but I have to keep my resolve.

"H-Haymitch... N-no..." He doesn't stop, his hands leaving a tingling feeling behind wherever he goes. "H-Haymitch... Stop. Please." My voice comes out barely above a breath. "We need to get dressed and go to dinner." He sighs and stops, resting his head against my shoulder for a moment before pulling back to look at me. "Haymitch... I want to, I do, but we have to go. We can come back later and... pick up where we left off." He smirks.

"We can, huh, Princess?" He presses his lips to mine.

"Mhmm" I murmur against his lips. He pulls back smiling.

"Fine. Whatever you say then, sweetheart. But if you get your say now, later on, whatever _I_ say applies." He smirks at me - his lopsided smirk that makes my heart race a little. I can't help but smile.

"Fine. Now, we really need to get out of this shower. How long have we even been in here?" He shrugs, chuckling.

"I'd say we most definitely lost track of time."

"Very astute, Mr Abernathy." I laugh at his stupidly obvious statement. He smiles and kisses my nose gently.

"Well, Miss Trinket, I do try. Thank you." I giggle as he lifts me off the wall and turns so the water drenches me. "Come on, let's get you clean!"

"Haymitch! Stop it! Put me down!" I struggle to get the words out through my giggling.

"But you're dirty, Miss Trinket." He grins at me as I struggle against him, laughing.

"S-so are yo-ou! Ha-ay-mitch!" I splutter through the water and my laughter. He laughs and joins me under the water for a kiss. I meet his lips eagerly, still giggling.

* * *

I comb my hair in the mirror of my vanity, smiling at him in the reflection. He walks up to me and begins placing soft kisses on my neck. It's clear he's trying to seduce me, and were it not for the fact that dinner is in less than half an hour, I would easily fall for it. We're both dressed now, but I've yet to apply my wig and make-up. To him, I guess the fact that I'm "naked of the Capitol" means that it's fair game. The game's only over when the wig and make-up are on, and even then, it's never fully over. I'm sure dinner will be fun, as usual, even if it is his turn today. He moves to murmur huskily into my ear.

"Sure you don't want round two, Princess?" I shake my head and chuckle, turning my head to look at him.

"Haymitch, the shower _was_ round two... And three!" He shrugs and smirks at me.

"Maybe the first two were just warm-up. That would mean we've yet to have round two. I want round two." He winks at me. I smile.

"I want round two as well, but unfortunately, Mr Abernathy, round two will have to wait until _after_ dinner." He sighs and places a final kiss against my shoulder.

"Fine, but I'm gonna give you one hell of a round two. Remember, later on, what I say goes." He moves to whisper into my ear again, his words sending a shiver of anticipation down my spine. A shiver I barely manage to suppress.

"That means I can do _anything_ I want to you." My breath hitches in my throat and he stands up, gives me one last smirk in the mirror, and turns around to walk to my bed. I notice him pause, looking at something, but I cannot see what it is.

"Eff..." His tone is confused, but suddenly a little too serious for my liking. He leans down to pick something up.

"What is it?" I turn around to look at him, but he looks down at whatever he holds. "Haymitch?" I feel worried. I can tell this is something bad.

"Effie... I think we've had a visitor." I look at him, confused, until he turns around. He holds a piece of paper - a note. My eyes widen and I gasp.

"Relax. It was just Cinna... here." He hands me the note and I take it with a shaky hand. I gaze down at the paper, reading the elegant script inked onto the page. I feel a little relieved when I finish the note. If he heard anything, he hasn't revealed it in the note, but if he did...

"Haymitch! What if he heard us? What are we going to do!?" I panic immediately.

"Sweetheart, relax. You read the note. He didn't say anything. It's fine. He probably came and scribbled the note and left. In and out. Don't worry."

"But what if he did hear? He could've come in at any point! What if we were too loud? What if...?" He walks up to me and gently places a hand on each of my arms.

"Effie. Listen to me! It's fine. I promise, sweetheart. It's Cinna."

"Exactly! It's Cinna. You know damn well he wouldn't say anything if he did hear us. He's a gentleman. You know that, Haymitch! He wouldn't embarrass me like that. How can we know? How can I sit with him for dinner? How am I supposed to look at him? Talk to him. Anything! How, Haymitch!?"

"Just act normal, as if nothing has happened. Trust me." I hate how he is being so calm, making me look foolish for freaking out. I have a damn good reason to lose it! He places a soft kiss against my lips. I feel my anger melt away, being replaced by just worry.

"Oh, Haymitch. If we get caught, if he tells someone. I'll be fired, Haymitch! I will! I'll never see you again!" I feel a tear escape down my cheek. He wipes it away.

"Sweetheart, this is Cinna we're talking about. I trust him with my life. He's on our side. Anyway, Princess, if we do get caught and you get fired, I'll kidnap you and bring you to 12 personally." I look up at him in confusion, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words.

"To stay?"

"Yeah, Princess. Of course. To stay with me."

"Y-you'd want me to?" I stutter, taken aback.

"Sweetheart, of course I'd want you to! Maybe we can, after this year. You know... after the Quell." I know he means after the rebellion, but he can't say it out loud. I smile at him.

"Haymitch Abernathy, are you asking me to...?"

"Come and live with me. In 12. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm asking. I want you to want to stay with me in 12. To not have to hide our... um..."

"Just call it a relationship, Haymitch. I haven't been with another man in years anyway."

"You haven't? Oh..."

"Have you been with other women?" He hesitates for a moment, then smiles at me.

"None since you." I can tell he's being honest. My smile widens. "I found I couldn't want them." I kiss him. "So... do you want to stay with me in 12, you know, after?" I squeal a little and hug him tightly.

"Oh! Of course I do!" He kisses me and holds me tighter. I murmur against his chest. "Only you could make a kidnapping sound romantic."

We laugh together, holding each other for a few more moments before we must prepare for dinner.

I don't know how I will ever be able to look at Cinna again.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for any mistakes. I suffer with an illness that makes me really tired quite a lot, so when it gets bad, a full day of hard work can just knock me out completely. I'm running on fumes basically (and Lucozade - nom). So I apologize, and if there are any mistakes or stupid things that are really bad, just let me know and I'll get on it right away. Reviews are love, and earn you a virtual "Hayffie hug" from yours truly (the kind where I knock your wig askew, but you secretly love it). :D ****P.S. Trend #Hayffiehug on twitter, and you'll get a virtual piece of the finest Effie-approved mahogany in all of Panem. ;)**

**P.P.S. I claim the term "Hayffie hug" *evils* :P  
**


	12. Muttering Obscenities

_**vintage-starlet (Tumblr): "My sweet little Mockingjay, I have a request for "A Love-Hate Relationship" (which I LOVE!). There is this little exchange in "The Hunger Games" which I think it would be interesting to explore. "As I enter the dining car, Effie Trinket brushes by me with a cup of black coffee. She's muttering obscenities under her breath. Haymitch, his face puffy and red from the previous day's indulgences, is chuckling." I would love to see your interpretation as a writer on this exchange before hand. :)"**_

**A/N: Hello everyone! As you can probably tell, I have a Tumblr account now. If you haven't already and if you want to, follow me at ablazingmockingjay on there. I always follow back and it's a good way to get prompts from people. This one is from vintage-starlet on Tumblr. I wasn't sure if you're on here or not, but if you are, it's a good prompt. :D Thanks a lot.**

**To the rest of you that requested things, I'm getting on it. They're all in my docs on here. Bear with me. :)**

**I hope you all enjoy. The feedback to this is immense. I never expected it. I love hearing what you guys think, so please review if you have the time. Thanks again. Send in your prompts. :)**

**-Ellie.**

* * *

I walk into the dining carriage to a small shock. Haymitch is sitting across from Peeta and they appear to be actually talking. I smile involuntarily.

"Good morning Haymitch, Peeta."

"Mornin' sweetheart."

"Good morning, Miss Trinket."

"Call me Effie, dear." I smile at him and take a seat next to Haymitch. "So, Haymitch, it's nice to see you getting along with the tributes."

"Tribute." He corrects me. "That girl is too damn hot-headed for my liking."

"Yes well, that's probably why you clash then. She's too much like you." I give him a smirk and he lets out a little chuckle.

"I guess so. But no, I was just talking to the boy here. We had a little chat yesterday evening."

"Yes. I saw him on his way out of your room when I was coming to see you."

"Yeah. I decided the boy isn't too bad after all."

"He has a name, Haymitch."

"Sure, sweetheart."

"As do I."

"Of course you do. I think I've groaned your name enough to know it, sweetheart." I give him a warning glance and shake my head slightly. He smirks at me, but takes my glare seriously. "Anyway. The boy helped me out last night. He's a good man. Agreed I'd give him some advice if he met me for breakfast."

"Helped you out? How so?"

"Took me to my room. Cleaned me up."

"He did what?" I feel appalled at the thought of the poor boy having to clean up Haymitch.

"Cleaned me up. You know, after I threw up and fell over. He helped wash me off. That kinda thing. We ta-"

"He did WHAT!?" He gives me an annoyed look and ignores me.

"We talked for a bit, I decided he's a nice boy, then I agreed to meet him for breakfast. And here we are."

"You let him clean your vomit off you? You let him do that?"

"Well I was drunk, sweetheart."

"Oh there's a surprise!" He gives me a mock, exaggerated laugh.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Haymitch, you can't let the tributes do that for you. You should be the one looking after them." I turn to Peeta. "Peeta, dear, in future just leave him in his own mess. It's nothing less than he deserves." I hear Haymitch scoff at the side of me, but I ignore him.

"I didn't mind, Effie." Peeta speaks in a kind voice. I realize he's almost too kind and helpful for his own good.

"See, Princess. It's all good." I turn to Haymitch, fuming at his indifferent attitude.

"Haymitch! For a tribute to have to clean up their mentor is absolutely disgraceful! It's obscene! The roles should be reversed!" He rolls his eyes at me.

"Relax, sweetheart. The kid didn't mind." I can tell he's getting annoyed now, but quite frankly he has no right.

"Haymitch, it is your job to look after the tributes. _Not_ the other way around! It's absolutely disgusting for Peeta to have to…"

"Jealous are we, Princess?"

"I… E-excuse me?" I look at him, absolutely bewildered.

"Jealous. You're jealous."

"Whatever do you mean, Mr Abernathy?"

"Cut the Mr Abernathy crap, sweetheart. I think we're way beyond last names. But what I mean, _Effie_, is that you're jealous because you couldn't do it yourself." He gives me a cocky smirk, and I find myself wanting to smack it right off his face. Unfortunately, it would not be ladylike.

"D-do… No, _Haymitch_." I spit out his name sarcastically, "I have no desire to clean up a disgusting, drunken fool. I do not wish to clean your vomit off of you. It's not a pleasant job. What I am saying is that Peeta should not have to look after his mentor!"

"Look, Miss Trinket, I don't mind, really I don't. It's-"

"It is not your problem, dear!" I cut Peeta off, trying to keep my voice kind. It may be impolite, but eventually he will learn to stay out of the arguments between Haymitch and I.

"It's alright, kid. The Princess here is just jealous because someone else got to see me naked." He winks at Peeta, who blushes, and then turns back to me, grinning.

"Oh you're intolerable!" I stand up to prepare a cup of coffee. He bursts into laughter. "I have NO desire to see you naked, Haymitch!"

"Oh really? Well you've never complained so far."

"Haymitch, please!" I feel a blush creep onto my cheeks. I avoid eye contact with him as I place my mug on the counter.

"Oh come on, sweetheart." I hear him stand up, and I glance at him to see him approaching me. He's looking at me with mischief clear in his eyes. I shoot him a glare of warning. "Don't get all shy on me now." He slowly glides his hand from my elbow to my hand, attempting to hold it, but I pull it out of his grasp quickly.

"This is inappropriate behaviour, Mr Abernathy. I would appreciate if you would just be quiet and…"

"Why so shy, Princess?" He takes my hand and yet again, I pull away.

"Haymitch! Stop! Sit down!" My voice comes out a squeak, where I intended it to be strong. He smirks and lifts a hand to gently drift down my cheek. I swallow hard and swat his hand away, perhaps a second too late.

"Whatever you say, Princess." He winks at me and saunters back to his chair, picking up his coffee and leaning back casually.

"Mr Abernathy, your behaviour is-" I speak as I pour some coffee into my mug, turning around to glare when he interrupts me.

"Inappropriate. Yeah I get it" He sips his coffee and leans forward, placing the mug back on the table and narrowing his eyes in thought. "But if I recall correctly, and I'm sure I do…" His eyes lock with mine. "Your behaviour was rather inappropriate last night, wasn't it, _Effie_?" My eyes widen and I let a gasp escape my lips, unintentionally of course. I stutter.

"I-I d-don't…" I swallow hard and take a deep breath, keeping my voice as controlled as possible. "What behaviour is this you speak of?" I internally kick myself in the face for my question. I realize it opens him up to give a full explanation of _exactly_ what happened last night. That is most certainly not for the tributes to know.

"Your behaviour last night. You know? When you and I were-"

"Enough! Shut up, you wretched buffoon!" I screech at him, a blush of rage and embarrassment creeping onto my cheeks.

"No need to be embarrassed, Princess. You certainly weren't last-"

"I do not want to hear another word from you! Silence!" He chuckles and winks at me. I pick up my coffee and shoot him a glare, before turning to storm towards the door of the carriage.

I brush past a confused-looking Katniss, muttering to myself as I go.

"Stupid fucking bastard."

I half-debate turning back to greet Katniss and say "good morning", since it's poor manners to blank someone like that. My anger gets the best of me. At this moment in time, screw manners.

Mark my words – Haymitch Abernathy will damn well pay for that performance later.


	13. Moments

_**A/N: Hi everyone. 'Tis I... obviously. Sorry but I won't post the make up scene yet after the last chapter. I think I'm gonna leave you all hanging for a bit. So here's a completely irrelevant chapter! It may not fit with some of the others, but unless they are named the same and in different parts (e.g. Elevator 1, 2 & 3), then please consider them "AU" from each other. So in the near future I will post "Reputations - Part 2" and you will know it's a follow up of the last chapter. This is just an idea I've been toying around with for a while. I hope you enjoy.**_

_**-Ellie.**_

* * *

It was the 74th Hunger Games when they first "had a moment". Haymitch had slumped down on the sofa, slamming his feet up onto the pristine, white coffee table. Within seconds he felt a quick, sharp slap on his leg. He turned his head to find the Escort glaring at him.

"Feet. Down. Now." He ignored her and went back to watching the TV. Yet again, another slap. His reaction was automatic. He lifted his hand and gave her a quick, sharp slap on her own leg. She gasped, and so began the fight. She hit him again, a tiny bit harder, daring him with her eyes to retaliate. And he did.

"Haymitch! Stop it!" _Slap._

"You started it." _Slap._

"Well then you stop it!" _Slap._

"You stop it." _Slap._

"You're being childish." _Slap._

He turned to her suddenly, securing both of her small wrists in one hand and adding a little bit of his weight for good measure. She battled against him with all the strength she could muster, a smile finding its way onto her face.

"Stop it, Trinket." He tightened his grip on her wrists, bringing his other hand up to lightly hit her leg again. She allowed herself to giggle, still wrestling against him.

"Haymitch! Let go!" An involuntary grin appeared on his face at the sight of the tightly wound Escort actually taking part in a play-fight.

"No friggin' way, sweetheart." She struggled once more. "Promise you'll stop?"

She grinned mischievously up at him. "Never."

"So be it." He pushed his weight down on her a little more, pinning her small body to the back of the sofa and holding her there. He had turned his head back to watch the TV when he felt pressure, then a little sharp pain on his hand. He snapped his head back around to see Effie with her teeth digging into his skin. He released her immediately.

"Ouch! Damn it!" The Escort grinned smugly and pounced, throwing her small body at him with all her might and lightly hitting him wherever she could land a slap. He tried in vain to block them, most of them hitting her target. He had to give her credit, she may be small and it may not hurt much, but she's got some speed. He heard an almost-alien laugh escape his own lips. It stunned him for a few seconds. He laughed - a genuine laugh. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed without it being just a sarcastic or dark chuckle. His eyes found hers, all deep blue and sparkling with mischief, fun and… victory? Hell no. With as much strength as he could without hurting her, he lifted both his hands to grasp her wrists once more and pushed her down. She giggled as her back hit the sofa cushion underneath her. Haymitch had never seen her genuinely having this much fun. He's not stupid. He sees through the mask she wears at parties, and he can tell when a laugh or a smile doesn't reach someone's eyes. The laughing she was doing in this moment was fully genuine – red-faced, gasping, uncontrollable giggling.

He pinned her arms either side of her head, and smiled a smug grin down at her, waiting for her to control her breathing again.

"Done, Princess? Give up?" Her blue eyes opened and locked with his. It hit him full force as he looked down into her glistening, joyful eyes. He felt something stir within him. Her eyes looked human… So human – all reserve and control and _falseness_ was just gone. He could see _her_. He noticed her smile fade a little and her eyes darken, almost at the same moment he was sure his had. He felt himself slowly inching closer to her, his tongue subconsciously darting out to wet his lips as he glanced down at hers. Her shaky voice snapped him back to reality.

"H-Haymitch…" They were just inches apart now, dangerously close to crossing a line they really shouldn't. _Dangerously close to putting her in danger,_ he thought. He froze, eyes widening. His voice came out barely above a whisper.

"Do you give up?" She nodded up at him, only moving her head slightly, a bewildered look in her eyes – as if she had come to her senses too.

He immediately released her and sat up, running a hand over his face and through his hair. She followed suit, sitting in the proper posture and clearing her throat awkwardly.

"I'm… uh… sorry if I hurt you."

"No, no. It's fine."

Both avoided eye contact for the rest of the night.

* * *

It was just a few weeks later when they gave in to the growing tension between them.

They won - both of them - and the Escort and Mentor were ecstatic.

They returned to the penthouse after seeing the Victors to the medical center. The celebrations began immediately.

"A bottle of champagne for the Victors!" Cinna had proclaimed, pouring the alcohol into some crystal glasses. The team toasted and celebrated, but after a few drinks, the stylists had to retire to prepare the outfits for the Victors.

"Another drink, Princess?" Haymitch had offered, knowing they were both already a little tipsy.

"I shouldn't really…" Her words slurred slightly, and Haymitch raised an eyebrow at her, as if asking if she's sure. "But oh!" She suddenly squealed. "We won! We did it, Haymitch!" She picked up her glass and held it out to him. "Pour me another, darling!"

"Sure thing, _darling_." He mocked in an exaggerated Capitol accent, causing the tipsy Escort to giggle. She never could hold her alcohol very well.

"Why do you mock me all the time? You're just a big meany, aren't you?"

"A meany? How old are you?" He chuckled. She turned to him and jabbed him in the chest.

"You pick on me. Don't you like me? You like me don't you, Haymitch?"

"Yeah, sure. I like you, Princess." She turned to him and narrowed her eyes in thought.

"I like you, but you're confusing."

"Why am I confusing?"

"You mock me all the time. You pick on me, but then you call me Princess."

"So?"

"You don't call anyone else Princess." This startled him. She was right. It was her exclusive endearment, never used with anyone else.

"I guess you're right. Never thought about it."

Silence fell for a few moments, both sipping from their drinks. The silence lasted until Effie started giggling again.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?"

"We WON!" She squealed, suddenly extremely loud. Haymitch flinched in shock. She'd made him jump.

"Damn, sweetheart. Relax!"

"Noooo!" She all but sung, standing up to dance around the coffee table. He stood up, swaying on his feet slightly, to attempt to calm her down.

"Relax!" He caught her with a huff when she stumbled from the alcohol in her system. He held her up, gripping her arms gently, but firm all the same, and she giggled as she looked up into his eyes. "Steady there, Princess."

Out of nowhere, with a brave, determined look in her eyes, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a hard kiss on his lips. He pulled back, still a little more sober than her. "Whoa… sweetheart, you're drunk." She shook her head wildly.

"No! No. Not drunk. Not yet." She attempted to kiss him again, but he held her shoulders back firmly.

"No, Effie. You don't want this."

"I do. I do. I want this. I want you!"

"Not like this. You won't want me when you sober up, I promise."

"Oh come on. That time on the sofa - the scores - you wanted to kiss me. I know you did. I wanted to kiss you. I _want_ to kiss you." He felt his resolve weakening as she flung herself at him again, lips attacking his eagerly. He tried not to respond – tried not to kiss her back. He tried so damn hard, but his efforts were in vain. After just a few short moments, his lips moved hungrily with hers, both of them simply acting out of a drunken stupor – celebrating. His hand reached up to push her askew wig away, allowing her blonde hair to cascade down just past her shoulders. He ran his hand through the soft, golden curls, enjoying the feel of her natural state. She moaned into his mouth as his fingers gently combed through her hair. She reached her own hand up to gently comb through his hair and down his torso; skillfully popping open his shirt buttons as she went. He growled when she ran her hands over his bare chest, fingernails lightly scraping across his skin, memorizing the feel of his toned muscles under her fingers.

She wanted to feel more of him – _all_ of him.

* * *

"Fuck! Effie, wake up right now! Get up! Get the fuck up!"

"Haymitch. Be quiet. I'm sleeping."

"What? No! Get the fuck up!"

"Oh shut up. Go back to sleep. We don't need to be up yet."

"Do you even realize what's happened here?"

"Of course I do, you stupid man."

"Then why the fuck aren't you freaking out?"

"Because a) I'm tired, and b) This is not the first time I've woken up after a one night stand. Besides, it's only you. I'm pretty sure you've woken up with strange women in your bed before. At least it's just me this time. We've both seen it all before, as far as the other is concerned. So please, just come back to bed and sleep."

"What do you mean _just you_? How the fuck is it supposed to be better waking up next to you than some stranger? At least I don't have to face a stranger every day. Just get the fuck up, Effie! And stop being so calm."

"Oh really! Anyone would think you've never woken up next to a woman before."

"I'm just not exactly used to waking up next to annoying, peppy Capitol women who annoy the shit out of me. I think it's understandable that I don't need any more crap you can use against me."

"I don't use anything against you. And don't worry. This doesn't have to mean anything. We were just celebrating."

"A Victory fuck then?"

"Sure. A Victory fuck. A simple, drunken one night stand."

"Good. Don't see why anyone would want you for anything more anyway." He notices a flicker of hurt flash through her eyes as she looks up at him, utterly betrayed. "Sweetheart, I'm just kidding." She climbs out of bed and begins gathering up her clothes from last night, heading towards the bathroom and avoiding eye contact with him.

"Too late to go back on what you really think, Haymitch."

"I'm serious. I'm sure you'd make a good wife to… someone. Maybe."

"Oh well thank you!"

"It's not like my opinion matters to you, Princess. It shouldn't anyway."

"Well it does."

"Well it shouldn't." She turns to him for the first time since leaving the bed.

"I can't help liking you. Can't help caring about what you say to me. It hurts every time you make a little jibe at me, you know? Like you're sticking that knife of yours inside me over and over again. Every single fucking time!"

"Well I'm sorry."

"I have no self-esteem left! No real confidence in myself."

"Could've fooled me."

"Fuck you, Haymitch!" She storms towards the bathroom once more.

"You just did, sweetheart." The bathroom door slams shut with a loud thud. Through the thick wood, he hears her angry, muffled voice.

"Get the fuck out of my bedroom, Abernathy!"

"Sure thing, Trinket." He chuckles as he slips on his pants and leaves the room. She can keep the shirt - a nice little reminder that she's his.

Not that he wants her to be his…


	14. Reunited

_**A/N: I should explain the back-story here. Basically, after the rebellion in this story, Haymitch leaves Effie because he feels it is what is best for her. After a while, she settles for an evil, abusive man named Magnus, but always wanted Haymitch. And now, here we are about 3 years later at Katniss and Peeta's wedding in District 12. I needed to explain that because I'm too lazy to finish the series that would explain it. So I've skipped everything in the middle, and here's this chapter. Basically how they end up back together in my story.**_

_**-Ellie.**_

* * *

I sit down at a table out of the way of the main party. Magnus has excused himself to talk to Plutarch and some other Capitol officials, so I just sit here, sipping wine, enjoying the beautifully decorated meadow and minding my own business. It was a beautiful wedding. Katniss looked so beautiful and Peeta looked handsome – even more so than usual. It was an honor to be asked to be Katniss' maid of honor, as well as wedding planner. Of course, I would never have said no. These children are my darlings – even if they are no longer children, I will always consider them my own. It hurt seeing Haymitch after so long. It's been years – 3 painful years since he left me. After that, I settled. Magnus had pestered me practically non-stop, so I caved and said yes. I don't think I'll ever marry him, but I suppose if he asks me I will have no choice but agree. I've seen the consequences of declining him one too many times.

"Hey Effie." I look up to see Haymitch - looking handsome in his sharp, well-fitted black suit - looking down at me and smiling nervously.

"Oh, Haymitch. Hello."

"Can I sit?"

"Yes. Of course." He takes a seat next to me at the small round table.

"So how's life? How are you?"

"Life? Um… Fine, I guess. I get by. How have you been doing?"

"I'm alright. Lonely. Miserable. The usual."

"Drinking?"

"Not as much. It doesn't work. I've been making things." He hesitates for a moment. "Hey can I show you something?"

"Uh… Yes, I suppose so."

"Come with me?"

"Okay." He stands and holds out his hand, which I take and walk with him to his house. He opens the door and stands aside nervously as I walk through, taking in my surroundings. His house is clean, and the smell of alcohol and filth is gone. It smells clean, like fresh linen, but with the unmistakable smell of pine. It smells like him. I get the urge to stay. It feels like it could be home.

"You've cleaned up." I smile at him and he gives me a weak smile in return.

"Yeah. I got a housekeeper before the war and got used to it being clean. My old housekeeper was Gale's mom, Hazelle, but they've gone to District 2. I keep it up a little myself, but I hired a girl from the Seam to do it. Wanted to help out, you know."

"That's lovely, Haymitch. Very thoughtful of you." He smiles properly at me this time, and I can see that he's proud. I assume he's proud that I've approved of his actions. We remain smiling at each other for a few more seconds, before he gets nervous and jumpy again. He moves from the door and pushes it closed.

"Um… do you… uh… you want a drink?"

"What do you have?" He gestures through to the kitchen and I walk, looking around as I go. I notice a gorgeous canvas painting of the ocean at sunset that hangs above his mantelpiece. "Oh this is beautiful." I notice the initials P.M. in the bottom corner. "Did Peeta paint this?"

"Yeah. He did. It's the Quell beach. He wanted rid of it and I thought it was nice. Doesn't hold the same memories for me, obviously."

"It is nice."

"Yeah." He turns and walks into his kitchen. I follow him. "So, uh, drinks. I've got whatever I guess. Nothing fancy, mind. What about tea? Or something else?"

"Do you have wine?" He looks a little taken aback by my request.

"Wine? Sure… Yeah." He turns to a cupboard and retrieves 2 wine glasses, before pulling out a bottle of wine from another. I notice that it just happens to be my favorite – the wine from the Capitol that we shared on so many nights.

"Were you expecting me?" I smile at him. He chuckles a little nervously as he pours wine in the 2 glasses and hands one to me.

"Well, I was gonna ask you to come over, but I actually took a liking to the stuff."

"I see. Well I'm glad you have it."

"Is it still your favorite?" He looks hopeful. I smile at him softly.

"Yes, Haymitch." He smiles, looking genuinely pleased. "You remembered my favorite." I murmur, mostly to myself as I shake my head and smile.

"Of course I remembered. I couldn't forget even if I wanted to." I sense a double meaning to that statement, so I change the subject quickly.

"What did you want to show me?" I see a little disappointment flash through his eyes, but he pulls himself together quickly.

"Oh, um, this actually." He gestures to the table in front of him. "I made it with you in mind." I turn to look at the table. It's beautiful – hand crafted with intricate floral patterns down the legs and forming a rim around the outside of the tabletop.

"You made this?" I run my hand over the detailed etchings. "It's beautiful, Haymitch."

"Like I said, I made it with you in mind." I hear him murmur, but I don't think he meant for me to hear. I take a deep breath and ignore his comment.

"You have a talent." I turn around and smile at him. He grins.

"I make stuff for all the new people in the District, and all the destroyed homes. I've kinda become the District 12 Carpenter, unofficially. People seem to like what I make. I kept this though. It reminds me of you. I couldn't get rid of it."

"Haymitch…" I begin, but he carries on.

"It's Mahogany, by the way." He smirks at me and I can't help but smile a little. "Do you remember? On the train?" I nod. I remember all too well.

"I don't know how we ever sat there with a straight face again." I mutter quietly and chuckle. He smiles.

"Me neither. It was expensive though… The wood, I mean."

"Yes. I'm sure it was."

"Worth it though. It's my personal favorite out of all the stuff I've made. Holds some very good memories, this wood." I smile sadly.

"Yes. It does." We hold each other's gaze for a few moments. I feel my heart flutter, and I'm ready to get lost in his silver eyes when he suddenly looks away. It makes my heart break a little.

"Please, sit down." He pulls a chair out for me. I take it and thank him. He sits at the head of the table, next to me. I look up at him and smile. He smiles back but looks down at the glass in his hand sadly.

"So… You got a man, I notice. Combe?" I notice how he avoids eye contact, and I can't miss the sadness in his voice. I shrug in reply.

"Yes. I'm with Magnus again. He asked and I figured it doesn't really matter."

"Are you happy?" I look down at my own glass.

"Miserable." The wine suddenly looks more appealing to me. I pick up my glass and down it in one desperate gulp. "But I couldn't wait for you forever."

"Effie… I'm sorry." I look up to find him staring at me with sadness clear in his eyes. I quickly avert my gaze down to my glass.

"No. I understand. You didn't want me. Why would you? I'm nothing but a wreck, physically, emotionally, mentally… you name it." I feel tears forming in my eyes.

"You're beautiful. You're always beautiful." His words make my heart flutter, but it hurts.

"Yes, but not enough, so it seems." He reaches out and takes my hand in his. I feel the spark immediately.

"I miss you, Effie." This time, I can't stop the tear escaping down my cheek.

"Don't do this to me again, Haymitch." I murmur. He reaches up to wipe the tear away, his hand lingering on my cheek. I look up into his beautiful, shimmering eyes.

"I do, Effie. I miss you. I was stupid. I've thought about you non-stop. I should never have let you go."

"Well, you did, and I had to move on and live, which was rather difficult, I must say."

"What do you mean?" He looks at me curiously, concern clear on his face, but I won't tell him what happened with the pills. I look down to my empty glass again, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh that doesn't matter. I'm still alive. I followed your timeless advice."

"I miss you, sweetheart. I want you to come back to me." I glance up to him, trying to keep emotion out of my eyes.

"You should have thought about that." I turn my eyes to the pattern on the edge of the table, examining it.

"Effie, don't be cold with me. Please. I love you." I can hear the sincerity in his voice.

"Yes, I'm sure you do." And I love him so much it hurts, but he broke my heart.

"Don't you love me still?" I shrug and avoid eye contact, not wanting to open up to him again. He gently pulls my face towards his with his fingers, forcing me to look at him. I feel my heart race – we're only inches apart. "If I kiss you, will you love me again?" He's so close, and his shimmering eyes melt my resolve completely.

"Haymitch, you know you don't need to kiss me for that." I breathe. He smiles at me and inches a little closer.

"I think I should kiss you anyway, just to make sure." He murmurs, and I feel his breath on my lips. His taste. The taste I have missed and craved so much, every single day of my miserable life since he left me. He leans in a little closer and I feel butterflies.

"Yes. I agree. I think we should definitely make sure." I whisper, his lips almost touching mine. I feel the electricity already, and I just want him to kiss me already. "Haymitch…" I breathe against his lips. I sigh happily when his lips crash into mine. I kiss him back hungrily and run my tongue along his lips, begging him to let me in. He allows me access and I explore his mouth, taking in the taste I've craved for so long. His tongue battles against mine and he moves around the table to place his hands on my waist, pulling me closer. I rise and he pulls me onto his lap, my knees perched on the edge of the chair, either side of his legs. I thread my hands into his hair to deepen the kiss, eliciting a deep moan from him, and he wraps his arms tighter around me. I pull away, gasping for air, and let out a moan when his mouth finds my neck. He kisses and lightly nibbles from my neck to my shoulder, sucking and most likely leaving marks. I know I'll have to deal with them, and Magnus noticing them, later, but right now, I really don't care. I want to be his. I want him to claim me as his, in every way possible.

His hands move to my thighs and slide up underneath my dress, gripping my waist. He pulls me lower onto his lap, and I feel his body's reaction beneath me. I find myself wanting some friction, so I push down onto him, grinding against him. We both groan at the sensation, and his hands guide my hips to repeat the action, over and over again. I feel myself losing control.

"Oh, Haymitch." I breathe. He lifts his head from my neck and I lower mine to look at him. I see the lust swimming in his eyes, and I'm sure the desire clear on his face mirrors mine.

"Effie." He groans against my mouth and attacks my lips hungrily. I push down against him once more, hard, and he growls in response. His hands lower and slide under my thighs, and he lifts me up and pushes me back onto the table.

"I can't take this anymore. I need you." His gruff voice sends another wave of lust through me. I look at him through my lashes, smirking, and grab his tie, wrapping it around my hand loosely and pulling him closer.

"Then have me, Mr Abernathy." I purr and he snaps. He lurches forward at the same time as I pull him to me, collapsing into me completely. His hands desperately push at the bottom my dress, eventually lifting it over my waist. We have no time or patience to undress properly. This will have to do. His lips remain attached to mine as he fumbles with my underwear, pulling the lace down my thighs. I lift my hips to allow him to remove them, but he has to move away to pull them over my heels – we don't bother removing those. When he collapses back into me, I reach down to fumble with his belt, letting out a frustrated huff when it refuses to budge. He chuckles against my lips and pulls away, stepping back and reaching down to unfasten it himself. When the buckle is loose, he opens his arms and smirks at me, nodding down to the belt and inviting me to remove it. I smirk and oh-so-slowly pull the belt through the loops of his pants, snapping it in the air when it's finally loose and extending my arm to drop it onto the table. He chuckles lightly at my display, eyes openly roaming my body. I can't imagine what I look like right now, but I take in Haymitch's appearance. His jacket hangs slightly off one shoulder over his semi-unbuttoned shirt (which I don't even remember unbuttoning), his tie now hanging loosely, slightly to the side. His dark hair is messy and sticking up at odd angles, and his mouth and the skin under his rough stubble is slightly tinted the pink color of my lipstick. His grey eyes look amused, but dark and lustful. Overall, he looks wild - rugged and sexy. Exactly what I want in a man.

I gesture with my finger for him to come closer, and he obliges, smirking. He stalks closer to me and slowly slides his hands up my thighs to lightly grip my waist, causing me to shudder. I slide my hands into his hair again, pulling his face to mine. He kisses me, slow and erotic, causing my heart to thump wildly in my chest. I reach down to push his pants and boxers to the floor and our bodies collide completely.

* * *

I collapse back onto the table and he falls on top of me, both of us panting wildly.

"You went a little crazy there, sweetheart." I hear his gruff voice in my ear. I smile.

"Yes well, it's been a long time since I had… well, that."

"What? A good fuck?" I can hear the smirk in his voice. I chuckle.

"Yes, Haymitch. A good fuck."

"I like hearing you swear. Sounds sexy in your voice." He murmurs smoothly into my ear.

"Well you do know how to compliment a lady." I smirk.

"Well, we both know that behind closed doors, you're far from a lady, sweetheart."

"Hmm… I guess considering our current position, you're right."

"That's fine. I don't want a lady. I want you."

"Good. I want you too."

"I love you, beautiful." I smile widely and turn my head to look at him. He grins at me.

"I love you too, ugly." He feigns hurt and I laugh, genuinely, for the first time in years. "I'm joking. You're beautiful too."

"It doesn't matter. I'm talented." He winks at me. I smirk.

"Well, I certainly know one thing you're more than talented at."

"Two things." He grins and taps the table. I remember where we are and gasp.

"Oh. We seem to have a bad track record with mahogany tables." I giggle.

"I'd say it's a pretty damn good track record, personally. This is definitely my favorite creation." He grins at me and we both burst into laughter. He kisses me softly on the lips. "I've missed you, Effie." He caresses my cheek gently with his hand. I reach up to return the favor.

"I've missed you too." I smile and kiss him again.

* * *

We walk back through the District hand in hand, only releasing each other for discretion as we round the last house and come into view of the meadow. He walks me back to my table, making small talk, neither of us able to wipe the smile off our faces. It feels natural being with him again. The conversation and laughs come easy. It's effortless. It's right.

"Do you wanna dance with me, sweetheart?"

"I… Well, yes, but Magnus is somewhere…" I glance around, but he's nowhere to be found.

"I forgot to mention I saw him walk off with a bunch of Capitol men when we were talking at first. That's the whole reason I approached you. Had to wait for him to clear off before I could win you back. Plutarch owed me a favor or two, luckily."

"You made Plutarch lead him away?" I find myself smiling at him.

"Of course. Wanted you to myself again, Princess." He grins at me.

"You know… you'd only have to ask, and you'd have me all to yourself right away."

"Oh really?" He smirks and leans in to kiss me, but our lips don't touch yet. He wraps his arms around my waist and rests his forehead against mine so our noses are lightly touching. I look up at him and smile, bringing up my hands to rest on his shoulders.

"Yes. I'm yours. I always was yours and I always will be."

"Good. Keep it that way."

"I plan to." He smiles at me and I'm vaguely aware of his arms tightening around me a little more, so I wrap my arms around his neck. I realize we're swaying lightly to the slow music. We're dancing.

"You're beautiful, you know." He looks into my eyes and I almost melt from the intensity.

"You're beautiful too." His smile widens and he inches a little closer.

"Am I?" He murmurs softly. _Closer_.

"Yes." I whisper. _Closer_. I feel the spark between our lips.

Just a tiny little bit closer and…

"Effie. What are you doing?" My eyes widen and I break away from Haymitch immediately. I turn to face the source of the voice. Magnus. He's angry.

"M-Magnus. I…"

"Save your breath." He marches over and grabs my arm roughly, pulling me towards him.

"Magnus, please. Don't make a scene."

"Shut up, Effie."

"Magnus, I'm sorry." He pulls me so his face is right in mine.

"What do you think you are doing? You were about to kiss him, weren't you?"

"N-no. I'm sorry. Please, Magnus."

"Hey, you let go of her!" Haymitch pulls at Magnus' arm in an attempt to release me. Magnus pushes him away, but lets me go with a violent shove. I whimper.

"We're leaving, Effie. We're going back to the Capitol. Right now. Come."

"No. I don't want to, Magnus. I want to enjoy the rest of the reception. Please, dear?"

"I think you're enjoying the reception a little too much, _dear_." He sneers. "We are leaving."

"I want to stay."

"Yes! And I can see why! So you can whore around with this scumbag!"

"Don't call him that!"

"And a lot worse than that. He's the biggest scumbag of the District where ALL the scum of Panem lives. The worst of the WORST! I WILL NOT lose you to the biggest trash of this pathetic District. You belong to me, and I have much higher standards, my dear!"

By now, a crowd has gathered and the District 12 residents are beginning to murmur angrily. I realize that I feel just as angry as them. This is MY District. I find the courage to stand up to him, after all this time. These people give me strength. I walk up to him and slap him hard. His head snaps to the side and I feel smug and proud of myself.

"DO NOT talk about this District like that! These people are good people. This is MY District, and I love that man!" I point at Haymitch. "He's a real man, and you wouldn't know what that means even if one punched you in the face, which, Haymitch, I do hope you're considering." I smile at Haymitch and he smirks at me. I turn back to Magnus. "I AM NOT and will NEVER be your property. You do not own me! I can be with whoever I damn well please, and that certainly is not you! You're a pathetic little man, Magnus. Pathetic." He looks furious, but I don't care. I turn to walk to Haymitch, who smirks at Magnus and puts his arm around me. "Oh and another thing. I assure you, _dear_, the scum of Panem live in THE CAPITOL!" The crowd around me begins to clap and cheer.

"Hey Combe." Magnus turns to Haymitch. "Get the fuck out of my District before our girl on fire puts an arrow through your heart."


	15. Mrs Effie Abernathy

**_A/N: Here's another one-shot for you. Effie keeps a diary. Haymitch reads it._**

**_Those of you on Tumblr will have read this already. I haven't changed it, I promise, so if you've read it there, feel free to ignore this. I just like to post to both websites so no one misses out. Not everyone has Tumblr, and vice versa._**

**_So, what does Haymitch do when he's bored and too-sober in the penthouse?_**

* * *

Things to do when I'm bored and sober in the penthouse…

There's only one room in this apartment that can give me the right amount of fun in this situation, and I go there on a strictly need-to basis. It belongs to one woman – one pink, annoying, prissy woman (but I guess she's pretty hot). Trinket. I smile mischievously as I approach her bedroom door. She's out – something about meeting up with her sister. I've met her sister a few times. She's a little more toned down than Trinket. I imagine she's pretty hot under all that make-up she wears. No match on my Trinks though. I'd say Effie most likely blossomed first, but they're both easy on the eyes. Their mother's hot too. I bet it runs in the family – the damn family I've met too many times for my liking, as if once isn't bad enough. But no, I wouldn't want her mother. Her mother's too old for my liking – I like my women a little younger than me – and her sister's married to some official with 3 kids. Not my type. No. If I had to pick one, it'd easily be Trinks.

Her door creaks slightly as I slowly push it open, stepping into the sickeningly girly room. It smells sweet – like her - like flowers and warmth and just _her_, but I don't dwell on it too much, as my eyes take in the light pink walls and the few-too-many vases of fancy flowers. I smirk as I waltz over to her bed, sitting down as if I own the place – the entire room is just so perfectly Trinks. It's predictable, really, in a kind of funny way. I allow my eyes to roam her room, looking for something fun to do. My eyes land on two picture frames on the bedside table. I lean closer, picking up the one nearest to me. I scowl – her and Crane. Damn Crane. I can't stand the guy – the way he looks at her like he wants to eat her up. Then again, I wouldn't be shocked if he has at some point. Fucked up Capitol people have no sense of love or devotion. They hook up with anyone who looks their way and move forward the next morning without even batting an eye. Makes me sick. What bothers me more is the thought of Effie taking part in that kinda behaviour. It's not my place, I know, but I've seen the _normal_ side of her, and the thought that these freaks might taint her just sickens me. I have no proof that she either does or doesn't, but I guess if she were like the rest of them, she'd have given in to me a little easier. I'm still waiting for the day she gives in. I know she's into me, but she just won't cave. I tease her for a reason. It's not like I'd just use her for a one-time thing. I don't hook up with anyone anyway, not anymore, so I'm more than interested in it becoming a regular thing. As if Miss-Uptight-Manners-Trinket would ever go for that. I need to find what makes her snap.

I pick up the other photo and smile. It's her family – well, it's her with her mother and sister. It looks like they were quite young. I'd say Effie looks about 18. Her sister's a little younger. The strange thing is, they're natural – no make-up, no wigs, no stupid fashions. I like it. I notice how much Effie looks like her mother and can't help but smile a little. I gotta admit, she's extremely hot under all that Capitol crap. I see her every now and then around the penthouse when she can't be bothered anymore. I put down the picture gently, careful not to knock anything over, and stand up once more. I stroll to the middle of the room, looking for something to do. My eyes land on her vanity desk, spying the drawer with the small keyhole. Invading her privacy is always fun…

I grin as I approach the desk, giving the drawer a light tug. It's locked. Luckily for me, the Games and the hard lifestyle of District 12 have taught me a few more-than-valuable skills for this situation. I hunt around for a second on the desk, looking for something to use. I pull out a few sturdy looking hairpins from a small pot and lean down in front of the vanity. I unfold one and push it into the hole, manipulating the lock. I grin wider when I hear a satisfying _click! _I stand immediately, pulling open the drawer and raiding through its contents. I push aside papers and photographs – after checking each one, of course – and hunt through her belongings to find something good. She wouldn't keep it locked for no reason.

My hands find something small and metallic. I pull it, confused, until it gives. In my hands is a small, round key-chain. It's from the Quell – a District 12 emblem key-chain with _50__th__ Hunger Games_ written underneath in fancy writing. I flip it over; only to find a picture of me with my name written in the same writing as is used on the front. Looks like I've got a fan. I chuckle as I place it on the desk. Looks like I've gotten through to all the good stuff. Moving some more papers aside, I find some more goodies. I pull out a signed postcard of me. She must've been one of the lucky girls who got my autograph before I turned to alcohol. I must've only signed around 20 before I got angry and stormed away. Maybe I met her? But surely, she'd have been too young then? I guess her family is just filthy rich.

Raiding a little further in, I find some _real_ fun. It's golden – a bright pink diary with the name _Effie Trinket_ written in elegant script across the front.

"Well hello." I murmur to myself as I pull it from the drawer. I don't even bother closing the drawer, instead just sauntering back over to her bed again. I jump down, not caring about wrecking anything. It's not my bed anyway, and hers is much comfier than mine. Smells nice, too. I lay back on the bed, getting comfortable and putting my feet up. I flip open the diary to the first page. It's a message, clearly written by a moody teenager. I find it scary to imagine this woman any moodier than she is now, but she must've been like hell as a teenager. I think I'd take the Games again any day over having to deal with a teenage Effie Trinket.

_Dear reader,  
This diary is property of Euphemia "Effie" Trinket.  
Please respect my privacy and DO NOT TOUCH!  
Do not touch, do not look, and do NOT read.  
If found, return to me immediately.  
Thank you._

_Effie xx._

I smirk at the message. If only she could see me now…

Chuckling, I turn to the first entry. It's an old one, from when she was a teenager. The 63rd Games… that would make her, what? 17? Yeah. Around that age. I read the entry, smiling to myself.

_Dear diary,  
I saw him! I saw Haymitch! _

Wait, what!?

_Father took me to the train station to watch them arrive. He's so handsome!_

I find myself a little stunned, smirking down at the page.

_I wish I were older. If he were my age, he'd want me. I just know it._

Over-confident Princess, aren't we?

_He's so dark and mysterious and dangerous. He's so sexy! He's untamed. I like that. I like it a lot._

Oh do you? Hmm…

_Seneca asked me out again, but I just can't! I don't like him. He's not the kind of man I want. He's just too groomed. He's such a goody two shoes._

I chuckle. I can imagine Crane like that as a teenager.

_I know I had sex with him once, but it was a one-time thing!_

My eyebrows shoot up. Trinket and Crane?

_I just didn't want to be a virgin anymore. It's embarrassing. Everyone else is so experienced – so grown up! Seneca doesn't understand that I just used him. I feel bad, I suppose, but I made it clear when we did it that it was only for one reason. It's not my fault the moron took it the wrong way, is it?_

I smirk at the thought of a teenage Effie Trinket stomping around and breaking hearts.

_I want a man like Haymitch. Okay, so actually, I want Haymitch. _

Oh do you?

_He's so wild and unkempt – like, he's so feral! Dangerous! It's exciting. I know I shouldn't think of him this way, cause he's like, double my age or something,_

I chuckle. Not quite, sweetheart.

_But I seriously want him. Like, I've never felt so… lustful towards a man before. I think it's because he IS a man. I wonder what it'd be like to touch him… to have him touch me…_

Hmm… I wonder.

_But oh my! I mustn't think this way! Hehe. If mother or father ever found out… gosh! _

Mm. Naughty girl, Trinket.

_I must go, diary. Mother and father are dragging us out for dinner.  
Farewell,_

_Effie xx._

I chuckle as I turn the page to the next entry. There's a considerable time gap, as if she never found time to write in it. One page simply says, "_I got onto the Escort program!_" and nothing else. Strange woman. I turn pages until one catches my interest.

_73__rd__ Hunger Games_.

This year… I wonder what she thinks of me now. I grin as I begin to read the entry.

_Dear diary,_

_The tributes went into the arena today. I'm worried about them, the poor darlings. They look so small and fragile. I know they're not going to make it and it breaks my heart. Haymitch thinks I'm a monster._

Oh… no I don't, sweetheart.

_He mocks me all the time. He think's I have no heart. I can tell he hates me._

Wrong again, Princess.

_I don't understand what I did to make him hate me. Okay, yes I do. I'm a monster. I pick children from his home to die. I get it. It hurts so much. I just want him to like me._

My fingers gently trace the outline of what looks like a tear stain on the paper, thinking back to that day. We had argued, I had called her names, she had shouted at me, and then she had stormed into her room and slammed the door. She hadn't spoken to me for the rest of the day. The tributes are dead now, of course, but we're required to wait until the crowning of the Victor, so we're stuck here together.

_It drains my energy, trying to please him. I have to do everything for everyone. He doesn't help. The stylists are useless as well. The whole team is just a shambles! I don't know what to do, and having him rip me apart daily is NOT helping. I think I might quit after this year. I have nothing to stay for. I can't get promoted until I do well, but I can't do well until I get promoted. I'm trapped. The only reason I accepted this District is to work with Haymitch._

Oh… shit. She took 12 just to work with me? I feel guilt wash over me. I haven't helped her at all.

_He thinks I don't care, but he doesn't realize I come in here every night and cry._

And she doesn't realize I hear her.

_I don't know. There's nothing to do. It's hard to work with him. He's so difficult. Even worse than that, he's still so attractive! He's vulgar, really, but I can't help but feel attracted to him. He's so sexy. You know how some men get better with age? I think he's one of those men. Despite the alcohol, he's well toned. His hygiene needs work, but that's easily done. When he does clean up, rarely, it's so… he's just so handsome. I want him. I always have, really. When he cleans up and wears nice things and what not… Oh my goodness. I don't want him to brush his hair though – not really – or shave. He looks sexy when he's… tousled. It's just the right amount of unkempt - just the right amount of rebellion. And his eyes! Oh gosh, his eyes. They're such shimmering silver. I could get lost in them. Whenever he looks at me I feel I shall melt, like the liquid silver of his eyes. His eyes have such power over me, and he has no idea. Goodness, if he knew I am lusting after him, he'd make my life hell. I'm glad he'll never know._

I laugh out loud at her words. She's right – I'm gonna make her life hell, but she's gonna enjoy it just as much as I am. But if she _lusts after me_, why does she play so hard to get!?

_Sometimes, I feel the tension between us. It's undeniable! Amelia commented on it a few times after seeing us together. She always asks if anything is going on between us. I tell her there isn't, but she claims there should be, and she's not convinced. I do wish he'd just act on the tension though. I can tell he feels it! How could he not? I wish he'd just pull me to him and kiss me passionately like in the movies, and then carry me to my bedroom (because his is DISGUSTING!) and make love to me all night! I want to feel him. I want him to make me moan and scream and watch me writhe underneath him. I want his strong hands all over me. I want to make him cry out my name. I want him to cling to me as we climax together over and over again._

Whoa… Trinket…

_But, of course, he is not a romantic. He doesn't even return my feelings. He wouldn't want a woman like me. He hates me.  
Anyway, I must go. We're going to get some sponsors. Correction, I am going to get some sponsors. Haymitch is simply going for another drink.  
Farewell,_

_Effie xx._

I remember the other day well. I had commented on her looking a little flustered when she left her room. She just blushed and ignored me. I guess I got her a little hot and bothered. This is fucking brilliant. My hot Escort is writing a smut-diary about me. I laugh and climb off the bed. I need a drink. I need to cool off. She's certainly got a vivid imagination.

I leave her room and make my way to the bar in the lounge, still holding the diary. I grab a bottle of my favorite whiskey and lay down on the sofa, my bottle in one hand and her diary in the other. With the hand that grips the bottle, I flick the pages, browsing through the other entries. There's only a few more, none of them any different from the one I've already read. Out of interest, I flick to the last page. Girls write on the covers, don't they? I'm shocked and amused when I see what she writes on her covers. Scrawled all over the page in her elegant handwriting are the words _Mrs Effie Abernathy. _I almost choke on my whiskey when I first see it, but manage to swallow the liquor down. My eyebrows shoot up as I survey the page. Effie Trinket dreams of being Mrs Effie Abernathy. I find myself chuckling. That's kinda cute. It looks like Effie is my number one fan.

I'm still grinning when she comes through the door, seconds later, murmuring to herself about something. She glances at me briefly.

"Hello Haymitch." I watch her as she hurries around the room.

"Hey Mrs Abernathy." I grin at her and watch as she freezes, half way through hanging up her coat. She slowly turns her head to me, and her mouth opens to speak.

"W-" She freezes when her eyes land on the diary in my hand, gaping, mouth open and eyes wide with shock and horror. My grin widens. I've got her – like a deer in headlights. She turns her body to face me, slowly, and takes a few measured steps forward.

"What did you read?" She talks in a low, controlled voice. I smirk at her.

"Oh, just a few entries. A fairly recent one _really_ captured my interest."

Her voice comes out barely above a whisper. "Which one?"

"Oh you know, just the one from the other day. When the tributes went into the arena."

She covers her now-red face with her hands and lets out a shriek of pure horror.

"Oh. My. God!" I laugh as I watch her writhe on the spot from embarrassment. Isn't this what she wanted? For me to watch her _writhe_?

I put my bottle on the table and stand up to cross the room, stopping in front of her.

"Never knew you were such a big fan, sweetheart."

She shakes her head frantically, still whining to herself behind her hands. I chuckle and gently pull her hands away from her face, watching her curiously. She squirms, uncomfortable under my gaze.

"Please stop looking at me!"

"But I thought you wanted me to watch you writhe?" Her eyes widen.

"Oh my God!" She covers her face again and screams a little into the palm of her hand. I guffaw.

"This is too good, sweetheart. If only I knew before."

"Oh!" She whines in despair. "How did you get it?"

"Lock-picked your desk." She looks at me, fury suddenly in her eyes.

"What!? How dare you!?"

"I'm glad I did it." I wave the diary and she tries to snatch it, but I hold it above her head.

"Please. Just give it to me."

"So forward, sweetheart."

"No!" She shrieks. I laugh. "How could you do this!?"

"I'll tell you what. How about I give my biggest fan a little apology kiss?"

"What? N-no."

"You want your diary back?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then let me kiss you, and you can have it back." I smirk as her mouth opens and closes like a fish. Effie Trinket lost for words. Never thought I'd see the day. I don't let her answer. I place both my hands, one still holding the diary, on either side of her head, gently cupping her cheek with my free hand. Her hands rise to grip my wrists, as if to pull them away, but she doesn't pull. She just holds my wrists, not moving and staring directly into my eyes. I remember what she said about my eyes, so I meet her gaze and watch as hers glaze over slightly. Wow. She wasn't kidding. She really does like my eyes. I lean forward slowly, not really sure what's going through my head. I'm not kissing her just because of some joke. There's a part of me that _wants_ to kiss this woman – that's _always_ wanted to kiss this woman.

I hear her breath hitch in her throat as I near her, her eyes fluttering closed. Softly, slowly, I press my lips against hers. She lets out a breathy sigh as our lips meet. I feel her hands tighten slightly around my wrists as I gently push her lips open with my tongue. She whimpers as I urge to work with me – caressing her tongue with mine. Eventually, she melts into the kiss, letting out a slight moan as her hands tighten their grip on my wrists even further. The kiss stirs something within me. I want this woman. The feeling shocks and scares me. I know it's too dangerous for her, and it'd be selfish for this to go any further. I lower my hand from the side of her head, sliding the diary into her hand, and after one last kiss, I pull away, panting for air. Her eyes remain closed. She's frozen; lips parted, eyes shut, hand still raised holding the diary, her other hand gripping my wrist – she's stunned. I caress her cheek lightly and she slowly opens her eyes.

"Effie. Thank you." I lean in to give her another soft kiss, before pulling away completely.

I walk across the room to grab my whiskey and stroll to my room, leaving her standing in the middle of the penthouse, frozen and stunned.

If I'm lucky, she'll come to me for more.

It's not selfish if it's her begging, is it?


	16. Fantasy

**phoenixrisingonthemoon asked: Prompt: Haymitch "unwillingly" fantasizes about Effie. And his fantasy Effie is very... taunting. ;)**

_**A/N: Another Tumblr prompt. I'm sorry this one's taken me so long. I've been thinking about how I could write it for quite a while, and I just came up with this. This is a little... steamy. You can probably guess that by the name "Fantasy"**_

_**Admit it, you're basically asking for smut, so that's exactly what I'll give you, and I shall meet you all for a party in hell. :L :P Enjoy.**_

_**-Ellie.**_

* * *

He's sitting on the sofa when she comes out of her room, dolled up for the party downstairs. He glances at her as she enters, but finds he can't look away. She's wearing a tight black and pink dress. It's cut in a deep V neck over her chest, where his eyes linger for a moment, until she clears her throat. He looks up to her eyes, seeing a fiery anger in them. He smirks, loving when he gets to her.  
"When you've quite finished, we have a party to go to." She glares at him and turns, walking towards the elevator. He watches her as she walks away, eyes lingering on her backside. She annoys the hell out of him, but damn, she's got a hot body, and the tight-fitting dress only compliments it even more.

When she turns around, she glares at him again, waiting by the elevator and tapping her foot impatiently. His eyes drift down to her ridiculously high stiletto, watching it tap against the wooden floor. He has no idea how she can wear shoes so high, but they definitely make her legs look great, so he's not gonna complain.

"Haymitch, come along."

He gets up and walks to join her at the elevators, and they head down to the party.

He spends the entire evening watching her, staring at her body in that dress. She catches his eye a few times, sometimes smirking at him, sometimes raising an eyebrow and sometimes giving him a look of disgust or annoyance, which he grins at, causing her to roll her eyes and look away again. Eventually, she approaches him, wanting to leave, so he accompanies her to the penthouse.

There's a small smirk on her face as they stand awkwardly in the elevator.

"See something you like tonight, Haymitch?" His eyebrows shoot up and he looks at her. She's glancing up at him, an almost seductive smile on her face. He grins at her.

"Not at all." She chuckles lightly.

"Sure." She laughs, not believing him in the slightest. He chuckles.

"Nice dress, sweetheart."

Her smile turns smug. As soon as the doors open, she disappears to her bedroom while Haymitch slouches on the sofa with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

The fact is, he _definitely_ saw something he liked tonight, and he liked it a lot. Her body in that dress… sheesh. He thinks about how perfectly it clung to her curves and womanly features; He thinks about her backside, the tight fabric clinging to it just right; but, most of all, he thinks about how that v-neck showed just the right amount of cleavage - Not enough to make her look like a whore, but enough to tease, and definitely enough to leave a guy (or, more specifically, _him_) wanting a hell of a lot more. He's wondering what she looks like without the dress, when her door opens.

He jumps a little, startled at being pulled from his imagination. He glances up at her door and he thinks his heart stopped. Effie Trinket walks ever-so-casually out of her room wearing nothing but underwear - black and pink lacy underwear - with a light pink, silk robe hanging loosely open over her body. Her golden-blonde hair hangs just below her shoulders in loose curls. It looks so soft… He wants to touch it. She's wiped all make-up from her face, and she's gorgeous - classic beauty - looking like she could've come straight from District 1 with her pale skin, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He notes how smooth her creamy skin looks. He wonders what she tastes like.

He blinks a few times, wondering if he's fallen asleep and is dreaming, but he doesn't think he is. His eyes follow her as she crosses the room to the kitchen. She glances at him when she stops.

"Close your mouth, you perverted buffoon." He snaps his mouth shut, only just realizing it's even hanging open, but doesn't take his eyes off her. She gives him an annoyed look before reaching for the belt of her robe and tying it shut over her front. She makes a cup of tea quickly, and, giving Haymitch one last look of annoyance, escapes to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

_Pfft. Lady._ He thinks._ Lady, my ass._

He would bet any money that she's not so ladylike when she's on her back, screaming as a man pounds into her - now _that_ is something he'd love to see… or feel… Her fingernails scraping down his back as she writhes underneath him… Her soft moans and mewls as he buries himself deep within her…

He shakes his head, trying to clear the images, and takes another gulp of his whiskey. Damn woman.

He goes to his room a little later, failing to get the image of the scantily-clad Escort out of his head. His dreams are different tonight - they aren't nightmares. He dreams of her.

_There's a soft knock at his door.  
"Come in." He murmurs, not really interested in visitors, especially this late at night.  
She enters the room in _that_ outfit - lacy underwear and a loosely draped robe.  
"Haymitch." She purrs his name. He watches her curiously. "I couldn't sleep, Haymitch." She stalks across the room to him, eyes dark and making slow, taunting movements. He just watches, somehow unable to speak.  
"Can I show you something, Haymitch?" His throat's dry. He nods.  
"I saw you watching me. See something you like?" She repeats the line from elevator to him in a low, seductive purr. He just nods again. He can't speak. She reaches up to untie her robe, oh-so-slowly, holding his gaze all the while. He licks his lips, eyes darkening with lust. She stands at the foot of his bed.  
"Come here." she whispers, beckoning him with her finger. He obliges, crawling to sit at the end of his bed, his feet on the floor. She moves to stand between his legs, swaying her hips as she does so. His heart races in his chest, frantic. She leans forward purposefully, so his face is in her chest. He resists the urge to attach his mouth to her skin, but he wants to taste her, so badly. She slides her hands down his arms, taking his hands in hers and lifting them up to her chest, placing them on her collarbone - near the edges of the robe. He gulps, finding his hands shaking, but not from a desire of alcohol. This is an entirely different form of desire. He feels his pants tighten.  
"Take it off me, Haymitch." She leans to whisper into his ear, her lips and breath tickling the sensitive skin of his neck. His breath hitches in his throat as he follows her instructions, sliding his hands across her soft, delicate skin and pushing the robe away from her shoulders as he goes. She hums - a low hum of approval - causing a fresh wave of arousal to wash over his entire body.  
She straightens up, pulling him with her. He stands in front of her, looking down into her lust-clouded eyes. She reaches up to touch his chest - he doesn't have a shirt on - sliding her hands slowly lower, teasing. He feels a spark of electric pleasure when she touches him through the fabric, and he can't stop the groan that escapes his lips. He watches her face as her eyes roam his torso - he's well toned, for an alcoholic of his age - and she licks her lips seductively, looking up at him through her lashes as she unbuttons his pants and pushes them to the floor, along with his boxers. He steps out of them and she pushes him back down onto the bed.  
"Your turn." She smirks as she once again lifts his hands to her chest. He figures this is an invite, so he lurches forward, planting his mouth onto her skin, along with his hands. She giggles as he reaches around to unhook her bra, letting it fall to the floor. His hands roam her back and hips as he teases her breasts with his mouth, and she moans softly with every movement. He lets his hands push away her underwear - the last barrier between them - and reaches down to touch her.  
"Oh… Haymitch…" she breathes as he gently teases her with his fingers.  
He's grateful when she steps backwards, stepping out of her underwear and pushing him a little further back onto the bed. He watches her as she slowly straddles his lap, that seductive smile on her face still. He doesn't know how much longer he can go without feeling her on him, so it's a relief that things are moving forward. Her lips find his neck, lightly nipping and sucking her way up to his ear.  
"I want you, Haymitch." Her voice, low and breathless in his ear, makes the desire unbearable. He groans in reply, but she claims his lips with hers hungrily, swallowing the sound.  
His mind goes blank, yet races at the same time, when she lowers herself onto him, letting a wanton moan escape her lips.  
"Haymitch…" She sighs, and when she begins to move, he can finally talk.  
"Oh… fuck… Effie…" He groans into the skin of her neck as he marks her with his teeth. "Oh fuck…"  
He's never felt such pleasure in all his life, and he's had enough women to have a good range. She clings to him, driving him deeper and faster inside her with every thrust.  
"Haymitch…"  
"Eff…"  
"_Haymitch…_" her voice changes, sounding suddenly more urgent and concerned.  
"Oh fuck, Effie."  
_"Haymitch…"_ the feeling starts to fade, replaced with the sensation of someone lightly shaking him. "_Haymitch… Wake up…"_ Wait… wake up?_

His eyes fly open. Effie sits at the side of his bed, one hand on the top of his arm, a concerned look on her face. When he meets her gaze, she looks away. He'd fallen asleep with the lamp on, so he can see a blush clear on her cheeks.

"Did you… um… Was it a nightmare?" She asks, embarrassed.

"No…" He replies. She bites her lip.

"I thought not…" Her eyes flicker around the room nervously, and he realizes she's trying to avoid glancing at his extremely noticeable, hardened member - clearly showing through the fabric of his pants. "Um… perhaps you should shower, or something?" Her eyes flicker to his crotch briefly, then back to his face. "Cool off…"  
He holds her gaze as she bites her lip nervously. He takes in her appearance, and it certainly doesn't help him cool off. She's in the same outfit - the one from his dream… his fantasy.

"Effie… I… um…" He's not sure what he should say, but he's pretty sure she heard him groaning her name. It's clear in her blush - her generally flustered appearance.

"It's okay." She murmurs softly and hesitates, unsure whether to speak. "It was about me, wasn't it?" She whispers, blushing deeper. He figures there's no point denying it. He just looks away, a little guilty.

There's silence for a minute or so, before she speaks again.  
"If you want… I mean… I wonder - if it might help, that is - I wonder if you might want to…" She hesitates, searching for the words. "Get it out of your system…" He looks up to her, a little shocked, and meets her eyes, noticing the slight fog of lust in them. Glancing down at her lips, he sees her tongue peek out to wet them slightly, before she takes her bottom lip between her teeth again.

"Are you serious?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. She nods.  
"Yes." She gently slides her hand down his arm. "I've had dreams about you before. The difference is, I don't usually talk in my sleep."  
"Really?" He feels his heart beat faster from her touch.  
"Yes. So if we've both had dreams of each other… we might as well both take this opportunity to-"  
He doesn't let her finish. He lurches forward and claims her lips with his, kissing her hungry. She returns the kiss eagerly, pushing him back down onto the bed as he pulls her on top of him. He takes in everything about her - her touch, her taste, her scent… everything - and realizes that this time, it's not a fantasy.

No, this is 100% real.


	17. A Home

_**A/N: My dear readers, I do believe I have been neglecting you! I sincerely apologize for that, but here I am now! I urge you all to get on Tumblr. I've been posting one-shots that you will not have seen unless you are on Tumblr, as well as another Hayffie fic that's been rather popular. My followers kind of forced me into writing Fifty Shades, only as part of THG universe and using Haymitch and Effie. I **__**will not**__** post that story ANYWHERE except Tumblr, so if you want to read it, I suggest you make haste to , find me (ablazingmockingjay) and enjoy my fancy blog. ;) (I've done it so you can click a button to find all my Hayffie one-shots, and a button to find what we've dubbed Fifty Shades Of Abernathy [FSOA])**_

_**Anyway, I apologize for the long A/N, and I apologize for abandoning you for Tumblr. It's just better for me because I love hearing from you all. On Tumblr, we can actually chat a little! Huzzah! It's great. Come join us. Come talk to me. :)**_

_**Enjoy. :)**_

_**-Ellie.**_

* * *

Effie froze in horror as President Alma Coin fell from the balcony, an arrow lodged deep into her skull. The crowd had erupted, people screaming, shouting, running everywhere, and the stage was chaos. Soldiers, civilians and Victors alike had rushed the stage, most of them after Katniss, some of them after Snow, and some of them just looking for somewhere, anywhere to run. She watched as Peeta struggled with Katniss, and saw how Katniss bit him, drawing blood. She just watched, frozen, until a rough hand found hers. A warm arm moved around her back, pulling her securely close to its owner as he guided her through the crowd.

They're in her room in Snow's mansion now. She's said nothing for nearly half an hour. He's been watching her, waiting for her to speak, but he's had enough.

"Sweetheart… you've gotta talk to me. I know you're shocked. We're all shocked, but I don't like this… this _you_. The Effie Trinket I know would never shut her damn mouth." He smiles at her a little, just so she knows that what he's saying is entirely in jest. She smiles at him weakly, but still refuses to utter a single word, instead going back to staring at the floor. He starts to get annoyed.

"Effie. Come on. Say something." He tries to keep his voice calm, but she hears the undertones of annoyance. "Effie… Speak. Talk to me."

He gives her a minute or two before he loses his temper.

"Damn it Effie! Say something!" He yells harshly, feeling guilty when she jumps in terror at the sudden anger in his voice.

"I want to go home." She whimpers. "I want to go home."

"Sweetheart…" He begins, but she interrupts him.

"I want to go home." She repeats over and over again, lost in her own mind, her eyes closed tightly in fear.

"Effie…" He tries to get her to stop – to talk to him – but she's not there.

"I want to go…" He's had enough.

"Where is home, Effie?" He snaps harshly, interrupting her, and her murmuring stops suddenly. She looks up at him with fearful, teary eyes.

His question stumps her. Where is home? She doesn't know. Does she have a home?

"I… I want… I want to… I…" She stutters, suddenly not able to finish the sentence.

He sighs when he sees her expression and the stray tears escaping down her cheeks. He crosses the room to sit beside her, gently and awkwardly placing a hand on her shoulder. He speaks with a softer voice this time.

"Look around you, sweetheart. Look out the window. Look at the Capitol."

She turns her head slowly, looking through the window and seeing the chaos that remains in her once beautiful home. Fire. Smoke. Death. Blood. Destruction. It's not her home anymore. She remembers what they did to her – every cut, bruise and strike, every sneer, every hurtful remark. Everything. The waves of agonizing electricity they sent coursing through her being; the burning of her lungs when they held her under water - not quite long enough to drown her, but long enough to make her head spin. They did this. These people. Her people. Her home.

This is not her home anymore.

She doesn't have a home.

A choked sob escapes her throat, and suddenly, she's weeping into Haymitch's shirt, having thrown herself into his arms.

He sighs and wraps his arms around her, allowing her to just let it out. He doesn't know what they did to her, but he knows she'll never be the same.

"Just let it all out, sweetheart." He murmurs, stroking her hair gently as she clings to him. "You'll be okay. We'll all be okay."

"N-no." She murmurs through her sobs against his shoulder. "Not okay."

"No. Not okay right now. One day, you'll be okay."

"I d-don't have a home, Haymitch." She whimpers, another round of sobs taking over her. He doesn't reply. He knows she just needs to cry. He doesn't know how to make her feel better.

Her sobs diminish to whimpers and the odd sniffle, and she clings to him, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. He figures he'll let her speak first. Eventually, she does.

"There's nowhere I belong anymore. Nobody left for me." She murmurs, so softly he barely heard her.

"That's not true, Princess." He mutters, turning his head to place a light kiss on the top of her head.

She sniffles again and pulls back, looking up at him through her teary eyes in confusion. "It's not?" She questions. He smiles weakly at her.

"No. Of course it's not. You have Katniss and Peeta. They love you. We all love you." He assures her. She frowns.

"But you're going back to 12."

He smiles sadly at her. "I know we are."

She sighs and hugs him tightly once more.

"I'm going to miss you, you insufferable buffoon."

He chuckles, a deep sound vibrating through his chest, and she smiles. It makes her feel comfortable. She clings to him, finding herself not wanting to let go. He doesn't want to let her go either. Her next sentence - whispered against the skin of his neck as she places a soft kiss there - almost breaks his heart.

"Please don't forget about me, Haymitch. I'll never forget you."

He turns his head to look at her, and she lifts hers once more as he does.

"Why don't you come with us?" He asks, out of nowhere. It takes his lips forming the words for him to realize just how much he actually wants this.

"To 12? To live?" She asks, not wanting to believe the words.

"Yeah. I think… I kinda need you, sweetheart." He smiles nervously at her, not sure how she'd take the request. He doesn't expect her reaction. She sobs again, this time happy tears, tightening her grip on him and burying her face in the crook of his neck again. He laughs, relieved, and strokes her hair gently. "Don't know what I'd do without you. You're a pain in my ass, but you look after me. You know better than anyone that I can't look after myself."

She laughs, happy for the first time in a long time. She can't remember her last genuine laugh.

"Thank you." She whispers, pulling back to look into his eyes. "Thank you, Haymitch." She leans forward and kisses him on the cheek, before leaning back and smiling nervously at him.

"Like I said… I need you." He murmurs, reaching up to wipe the tears away from her eyes with his thumb. Her smile widens a little at the gesture. "What would I do without you, Trinket?" He laughs, letting out a little chuckle.

"You can't even dress yourself without my assistance." She smirks and he shakes his head, grinning.

"You've got a point." He agrees, thinking for a moment.

She watches him, familiar with that glint in his eyes – she knows he's got a great mind, when he wants to use it, and she knows when he's planning.

"Effs…" He begins, hesitating for a moment. She waits. "So… I've got a spare room in my house, if you want-"

She doesn't let him finish, leaning forward to kiss him on the lips. It's not a kiss full of passion, like the ones they've shared before when the tension between them exploded. No, it's a kiss that simply says, "thank you." – a kiss you give the person who has saved your life. She knows that, in reality, he is the only person she's got left. She wonders if maybe they can move on from this dark place together. Maybe they can help each other heal. Maybe she can find a home.

Maybe he can be her home.

* * *

_**A/N: Special offer! If you join Tumblr within the next 2 days (So you've got until Tuesday evening [around 7pm] UK time) and follow me at .com, send me a message (through my "ask box") with the special code-word "Penguin" and I will promo you on Tuesday Evening to my followers. I'm trying to make it easier for all of you who like to read all my stuff, because there are exclusives on there and I always post there first. I guess, because I love you all that much, if you already follow me, you can do the exclusive promo too. :P**_

_**Alternative: If you don't want to join Tumblr, just favourite/bookmark the page /tagged/hayffie and you will find things (not just by me, but by other amazing writers) posted there regularly.**_


	18. Goodnight

_**A/N: I hope you all like this (as much as possible) because I'm damn well only gonna write this kinda thing once. I just broke my own heart. My Tumblr followers are all crying. I'm sorry, my darlings! Enjoy.**_

_**-Ellie. **_

* * *

They're gathered in Haymitch and Effie's bedroom, waiting. The doctor said it would be any time soon, and he's been unwell for months. Effie's clutching his hand tightly, fighting the tears threatening to escape down her cheeks at any moment. A stray tear falls, and he reaches up with his weak hand to gently wipe it away.

"Don't cry, Princess. I'm alright, really." He tries to smile at her, but his face contorts in pain when he moves. They said the years of alcohol abuse have finally caught up with him, but it was only a matter of time. They all knew. She feels his pain as she watches him attempt to hide it. She squeezes his hand comfortingly, just in a way that says, "I'm here."

"You said you wouldn't leave me, Haymitch."

"I know. I won't, I promise. Not properly."

"You said you wouldn't go without me. Do you remember our pact?" She whispers, only for him to hear, thinking back to the days in District 13's hospital. She had promised not to go without him, and he'd sworn the same to her.

"I remember."

"I'm coming with you."

He smiles sadly, knowing there's nothing he can do to change his wife's mind.

"Okay, Princess."

She smiles at him, squeezing his hand once more before standing and approaching Katniss.

"Darling, I need to talk to you alone for a second." She guides the young woman out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"What's up, Effie?"

"I need you to do a very large favor for me, and I'm asking you because we trust you and I know that you know what must be done, must be done. I know you'll understand why we want this."

"Okay. What are you talking about?"

"We made a pact, Katniss, in District 13. He wouldn't go without me, and I wouldn't go without him. Well, he's in pain and I will be forever grateful to you if you would…" she hesitates, taking a deep breath, taking Katniss' hand and staring straight into her eyes, showing strength and resolve. "Katniss, will you fetch us some Nightlock? Please?"

"What? Effie, no! I can't do that!"

"Katniss. Please. I am begging you, my sweet girl. I cannot be without him, and he's in pain. I can't stand this. Are you telling me that if Peeta were in there on his deathbed, you would just let him be? You'd go on without him? I don't think you would, darling. Please do this for me, Katniss. For us."

Katniss sighs, understanding completely, but wishing things could be different. They haven't had enough time to be happy together. They deserve at least this, don't they? To be able to go at the same time, together. She knows she has to take care of the people that took care of her.

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll go." As soon as the words leave her mouth, Effie pulls her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, my sweet girl." She pulls back to kiss her ex-tribute on the cheek lovingly. "Remember, bring us a good handful - enough for 2. Don't tell anyone else. I'll take care of it. They cannot know."

Katniss just nods, returning her Escort's hug before pulling away and moving towards the stairs.

"I'll be back soon, Effie." She assures the grey haired woman, sending her a weak smile before descending the stairs and heading to the forest.

Effie returns to the room where her 3 now-grown children and Peeta stand watching her husband.

"Darlings, I need you to all say your goodbyes to your father. I wish to be alone with him for a short while. You have until Katniss returns."

"Mom? Why do we need to say goodbye? What's going on?" Her eldest son questions her. She smiles at him reassuringly.

"Just incase, darling. I would hate for him to pass without you saying your goodbyes."

She watches as their children step up in turn to hug Haymitch, murmuring words to him before leaving the room. Peeta follows suit, and she follows him out.

"You all know that I love you very much, and you must all stick together. Promise me that no matter how you feel about this, you will be there for each other."

"Of course." "Okay, mom." "I promise."

"Peeta, you know you're like a son to us. We love you very much, as if you were our own. We always have." She moves around the small crowd, giving each member of her family a tight hug. As she reaches her daughter, Katniss returns. Effie smiles at Katniss as she slips a small pouch into her hand. She doesn't hesitate to pull her into a loving embrace.

"Thank you, my sweet girl." She feels Katniss nod before she pulls away.

Effie walks back into the bedroom, hesitating before she closes the door.

"We love you all very, very much." She smiles softly, closing the door and clicking the lock behind her. She turns to smile at her husband, who returns the smile lovingly. "Just a moment, dear."

Effie moves to the vanity, picking up a pen and taking a piece of paper from the notebook. She writes a note to her small family outside, making sure to explain the situation gently, and reminding them just how much she loves them.

_My wonderful children,_

_You must know that we love all 5 of you very dearly. Your father and I made a pact, a long time ago. We agreed that we would not leave this earth without each other. I intend to keep that promise. I hope you understand. I want you to forgive me, and promise me that above all else, you will find happiness in your lives. You are fortunate to not live in dark times. Be thankful for what you have, and enjoy the life you are able to lead. We love you so, so much, my precious darlings. We will see you again one day soon, but we know that you're all grown up now, and you will be just fine without us. We will miss you, and I'm sure you will miss us, but you're all wonderful people. I'm so incredibly proud of you all. I love you all more than words can say, and so does your father._

_Goodbye, my sweet darlings._

_Lots of love,_

_Mom and Dad._

When she's done, she moves to sit by her husband's side once more, taking his hand in hers.

"Are you sure about this, Princess?" He asks softly.

"I am. I cannot go on without you. I won't." She replies firmly, a tear escaping down her cheek. Once again, he reaches up in his usual way to gently wipe it away. He smiles at her lovingly.

"You're still as beautiful as the day I met you."

"You called me a clown, the day you met me." She laughs softly at the memory, and he joins her. It seems like a silly memory now, but it's such an important one for them.

"That's true, I did, but you were a beautiful clown." He grins at her when she blushes slightly. He's the only person to have ever seen the shy side of Effie Trinket. He sighs, caressing her cheek gently. "Are you ready?"

She opens up the pouch and peers inside. Katniss has been true to her word. Inside the pouch is a small amount of the deadly berries – just enough for the two of them. She nods at her husband, sending him a small smile.

"Just a moment." She stands and retrieves the note from the vanity, moving to the door and gently sliding it underneath. She knows they don't have much time now, so she rushes back to her husband's side and empties some of the berries into his waiting hand. She repeats the action for herself, taking a small handful.

She leans in to kiss her husband's lips – gentle, yet passionate at the same time. How does one convey over 30 years of love through one kiss? They know it's impossible.

"I love you so much, Haymitch." She whispers against his lips. He kisses her once more before replying.

"I love you too, Effie. Always did." They smile at each other lovingly, before Effie climbs onto the bed to lie beside him.

"Together." They both agree at the same time.

"One." Haymitch murmurs, pulling Effie down to cuddle with him.

"Two." She responds, settling herself in their usual cuddling position, his other arm -the one without the berries - pulling her close. They both lift their hands to their lips.

"Three." They whisper together, emptying the berries into their mouths.

They both swallow and settle into each others arms, their now empty hands grasping the other's tightly.

"I love you." They murmur at the same time, gently kissing each others lips.

Effie feels a strange calmness wash over her, and memories flash behind both of their eyes. She remembers the day they met; the first time they ever made love; Haymitch pulling her from her cell; waking up to find him watching over her; their wedding day; their children's births and birthdays and Christmas and all the happiness they've had together. She doesn't know Haymitch is remembering exactly the same moments.

"Goodnight, darling." She whispers when she feels the effect of the berries pulling her under.

"G'night, Princess." He replies softly.

They both take their last breath at the same time, each pulling the other closer during their very last moments.


	19. Wedding

**_A/N: I've had this prompt in my tumblr inbox since October. I apologize for being on a little hiatus from this collection, but I'm back now and can hopefully get through all the prompts I have in pretty good time. Thanks for sticking with me. I love you all._**

**_I have changed my penname, just incase any of you were confused. I was 'A Blazing Mockingjay', but I hate it, so I'm now 'danythedragon' - it's a ASOIAF thing. ;)_**

**_Please excuse any typos here. It's 3:15am and I can't promise perfect proof reading skills at this time. I have to post it now cause I'll be busy all day, so I apologize in advance for anything dodgy, and I hope you enjoy. :)_**

**_[Special thanks to tumblr user 'hayffieaddicted' for the wedding prompt, and if you want to follow me on tumblr, just search 'floatinginthenightsky'.] xx_**

* * *

"Damn stupid ties!" Haymitch grumbles angrily as he pulls at the knotted mess around his neck. There's frustration clearly showing in his features and the way every muscle in his body seems tensed, ready to snap at any minute.

Peeta smirks, stifling a chuckle as he crosses the room and pulls his mentor's necktie back over the man's head. Haymitch watches, scowling, as the younger man unknots it and easily ties it neatly around his own neck, before reaching up to return it to him.

"There." He smiles. "That's a tie Effie should approve of."

Haymitch grunts his thanks with a quick nod of his head, turning back to the mirror to fidget with the tie uncomfortably.

"I don't know why the damn woman insists on me wearing one. It's not like it makes a difference! Thought it was only the rings that mattered today. For all I care, I could get married naked. As long as I get the ring, right?"

Peeta laughs. "Haymitch, no offence, but you naked isn't something anyone wants to see."

"Well, Effie doesn't com-"

"Whoa! Stop there! Keep it between the two of you, old man." He grins and slaps his mentor on the back in a friendly manner.

Haymitch faces the mirror; a nervous, anxious grimace on his face as he fidgets with his suit.

"God, I hate weddings." He murmurs.

"Then why are you getting married? Honestly, I never saw you as the type."

"Well I'm not, but we walked past a wedding in town and the damn woman wouldn't shut up about the whole thing." He shrugs it off in his usual Haymitch-style. Peeta gives a knowing smirk.

"No… it's not just that. You love her."

"Well I'm marrying her, aren't I?"

"No. You _really_ love her. More than you ever thought you could."

Haymitch shrugs and simply moves to look out of the window, his eyes drifting in the direction of the Justice Building; it's roof just visible over the top of the houses across the street. In just 30 minutes, it's there that he'll finally be calling Effie Trinket – of all people – his wife. His eyes briefly pass over the house directly opposite his – the house belonging to Katniss - where Effie's getting ready. He grins and turns back to Peeta.

"C'mon then, kid. Let's do this."

* * *

Staring into the mirror, Effie can't help the smile that's ever present on her face. She never thought she'd get married – not really – and especially not to Haymitch Abernathy. She's always felt like, as much as she dreamed of the perfect, happy family life, her career would always get in the way. She thought she'd never have time. Yet now, here she stands in an elegant, traditional white gown, ready to take the name of the man she's grown to love and give herself to him for all eternity.

Her eyes roam over the dress. It's floor length, and seems to flow, as delicate as water. It reminds her of the way the water swirls and dances around rocks in the streams he's taken her to before, in the trees just outside the fences of District 12. It's not an outrageous dress – not by a long shot – but it's pretty enough to satisfy the slightly tamed Capitol side of her, and she knows it's simple enough for him. He'll like it. She knows he will. She runs her fingers delicately over the lace that's sewn over the bodice, smiling as the light catches the few subtle crystals that are embedded into the fabric. It's the perfect dress.

Her eyes find Katniss in the reflection of the mirror, bustling around the room and seeming to be more nervous than her. If it weren't for the dresses, any onlooker would probably think Katniss was the one to be wed, rather than the calm bride simply admiring her dress in the mirror.

"…prep teams took care of it, cause I don't know the first thing about make up, but I am sorry."

"Hmm?" Effie turns to the girl, only just realizing she's been talking. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was sort of entranced. What were you saying, dear?"

"Oh… I, uh… I was just saying… I'm sorry I couldn't be more help to you., but I don't know anything about makeup or fashion, so I thought I'd leave it to the experts."

"Katniss, darling, you've been a huge help. More than you could ever know. I appreciate you just being here." She takes her former tribute by the hands and smiles warmly, before pulling the girl in for a hug. "Now, Peeta assured me he'll get Haymitch there on time, looking neat. All we have to do is wait until we're called upon."

"Alright. Well, you look nice, Effie." Katniss mumbles, and Effie smiles at the girl's attempt of a compliment.

"Thank you, dear. Let's hope my fiancé agrees."

"Well if he doesn't, he gets a slap." Katniss murmurs.

"Katniss!" Effie scolds. The younger woman smirks in response.

"They're ready for you, Miss Trinket." A voice echoes from the hallway downstairs. Effie grins happily.

"Here we go!"

* * *

Haymitch has never been so nervous in his life. At least, he doesn't think he has. Part of him tries to think back to whether or not he was any more nervous in the tube before his Games, but he stops the thought before it can properly occur. Today's not the day for thoughts of the past.

The small group of musicians begin to play the Capitol tune Effie's chosen for the day – one of the only pieces of Capitol music he begrudgingly admits to liking – and Haymitch stands up, knocking his chair askew from the others in his haste. He takes his place, Peeta by his side, and subtly wipes his palms on the fabric of his trousers. His heart races, the speed seeming to build up with the music as the swirling melody swiftly travels towards her cue. In seconds, he'll see her, but it feels like hours to him before she finally rounds the corner into the square.

The music hits a crescendo and Haymitch's heart seems to swell with it. His eyes are fixed on her – on his bride – as she makes her way towards him, her steps matched perfectly with the steady rhythm of the music. For what feels like a lifetime, he's stunned by her appearance – the relatively simple dress; her natural hair simply curled a little and fixed into some fancy, elegant style he doesn't understand, but definitely likes the look of. His eyes see the tiara on her head in place of a veil. He thinks it's fitting, since she's always been his Princess. But now, finally, his eyes come to rest on her face, and he realizes how right Peeta is – he _really_ loves her, and it blows him away how overwhelming this strange emotion is. It's like nothing he's ever felt before, but he realizes, as his eyes lock with hers, that he's felt it for years.

He winks and sends her what's come to be his signature lop-sided smirk, and she responds with a smile that he thinks lights up the room - though he realizes he's probably biased, but so what? He watches every move she makes as she approaches him, and can't fail to notice the way her eyes flicker every so often to the chair that he's knocked out of place. He smirks and raises his eyebrows expectantly as she bites her lip, clearly uncomfortable as she nears the chair. He knows she's going to straighten it up. How could she not? He can't help but laugh when he's proven right. She pauses briefly and quickly moves the chair back to it's original position, rolling her eyes at Haymitch's laughter and the smirks on Katniss an Peeta's faces. As she takes her place opposite Haymitch, she takes a quick glance around the room, seeming to check for any more imperfections before looking back to her expectant fiancé.

"Everything seems to be in order." She murmurs, mostly to herself.

"Does it meet your standards?" Haymitch teases. She looks at him in thought.

"Not quite." She smiles, reaching up to straighten his tie and smoothen down his jacket. "That's better."

Haymitch scoffs and leans forward to kiss her, as he's wanted to from the second he saw her.

"Good, cause if you don't mind, I kinda wanna marry you now."

"Only kind of?" She mock-pouts.

"Alright… I _definitely_ wanna." Haymitch corrects, grinning.

"Good. Then let's not waste any more time!" She proclaims happily.

"This is the one time I'm gonna let you keep me on a schedule, woman." He murmurs, taking her hand and stepping forward with her into their positions for the ceremony.

"When I'm your wife, you'll do as your told." Haymitch opens his mouth to protest, but she quickly kisses his lips – just a peck – in order to silence him. "Be quiet. Marry me."

"Well I can't marry you if I'm being quiet, can I?" He retorts, smirking at his smart remark. She rolls her eyes again, but there's a soft smile on her lips.

"You know what I meant. If you're done being childish… shall we?"

"I guess so." He winks at her, a wide grin on his face.

"Are you ready?" She asks.

"Been ready for this for years, Princess." He replies, and with one last reassuring squeeze of her hand, the ceremony begins.

* * *

**_A:N: I'm leaving it here for now because I don't think I need to go through a whole wedding ceremony. You all know the basics. Vows, speeches, "I do", blah blah. You're not missing anything. If people want me to, I'll do afterwards, so that'd be the party and (because I know what you're all like) the wedding night. So let me know. :)_**


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